Holsteinfriesian90
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
Don’t get milk mixed up with fluids. If scouring ours would have 2-2.5 litres morning and evening with rehydion and then top up with water and electrolytes. Don’t over feed the milk imo.
All things Dairy
- Thread starter Cows 'n grass
- Start date
- Location
- somerset
are you feeding in bunches of 5 ? Might be, 1 calf getting to much, another not enough.
we always pen individually, so can monitor each calf, more accurately on its intake, milk, water, crap and cake, and adjust if necessary. And perfectly happy to be regarded as old fashioned, in my calf rearing, the results are the answer.
Disease wise, you have that pretty well covered, so, the next stage, is management, l am afraid, and knowing how busy you are, how regular is your feeding. Calves are only babies, they might be tough, but all babies respond to a routine. At the same time, you haven't got enough hours in the day, to get all the work done.
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
I think the next thing to try is dropping the milk fed down then.
I'll keep them on 2l per feed for the first week, then 2.5l for week 2, then week 3 will be 6, week 4 I'll aim to get them up to 7 which is the max I feed
I'll keep them on 2l per feed for the first week, then 2.5l for week 2, then week 3 will be 6, week 4 I'll aim to get them up to 7 which is the max I feed
Holsteinfriesian90
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
How many grams per litre of powder are you using?
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
200g/litre which is slightly more than the bag says (185g/litre) but everyone on here at the time said 200g/litre is the minimum concentration they would use and I'm inclined to agree?
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
Is milk scour a real thing that will kill calves.
I don't think a healthy calf will ever die for the sole reason it was given too much milk.
However I do sometimes question the feeding of the milk when the calf is scouring. The milk is what the bugs are living off of.
A scouring calf won't die from lack of nutrients it will die from dehydration. So I would be tempted myself when a calf is scouring to cut the milk completely and rehydrate for a couple of days.
I don't think a healthy calf will ever die for the sole reason it was given too much milk.
However I do sometimes question the feeding of the milk when the calf is scouring. The milk is what the bugs are living off of.
A scouring calf won't die from lack of nutrients it will die from dehydration. So I would be tempted myself when a calf is scouring to cut the milk completely and rehydrate for a couple of days.
So 1.2kg powder?
You made of cash?
- Location
- somerset
haven't used a lot, only the year we had crypto, but the vets were telling us the opposite
that's why we used halocur. Friend used parafor, from a different practice, our vets reckoned it was 'awful' for calves, and only to be used in emergencies.
And, in time, we probably won't be able to use either, with current thinking on a/bs
- Location
- somerset
l think it is milk scour, that 'weakens' the calf, which lets 'other' diseases in, full agreement otherwise.
Holsteinfriesian90
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
That’s a fair wack of powder.
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
In my opinion that's way too hot 150g to 850ml is what we do. I'd say that's the route of all your problems, calves with acidosis.
Healthy calves here have 3.5l per feed, as soon as they like. Milk powder concentration is according to instructions, I'm not going to pretend that I know better than the manufacturer, unless I had good professional advice on the matter. I would be careful listening to anyone on the internet. It may well be advisable to feed a bit less milk, definitely at the proper concentration, if they are really ill, I would just feed fluids until they are brighter.
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
Perhaps we used to get away with having crypto by feeding 1kg of powder in 9 litres of water? No chance of getting dehydrated. Plus of course they always had access to water.
Only 1l, that's too extreme...
I feed them enough but keep an edge on their appetite.
First week once sucking they'll get about 2l AM, say 2.5 PM (longer interval). As they get stronger, gradually step them up (faster than @In the pit , but suspect my calves a touch larger as holsteins).
If they're drinking milk we'll I don't tend to give additional fluids in case of slight scour. They'll find water. If scour significant they usually won't take the milk so well, so metacam and 2l fluid.
Leave good gap between any milk and fluid.
Good luck.
Another vote for rehydion, can give it straight after milk, not have to come back 3 hours later like fluids...
- Location
- Rep of ire
Acidosis will flatten a calf as quick as dehydration. Any calf that gets scoured here gets a big teaspoon of breadsoda in a shot of warm water half an hour after feeding. It kills any acid buildup. While it doesn’t cure scour , it keeps the calves bright and lets things cure up . Maybe Jdunn55 should try going all natural and give the calves cows milk
Same here.
BELOWAVERAGE
Member
Be far better letting them calve outside, and then leaving the calf run with it's mother for ten days.
- Location
- South Molton
Dehydration is the number one issue in scouring calvesBut is he?
I hear so much conflicting advice and have tried everything and the truth is f*ck all has made any sort of difference
Vet says give fluids
Half the people on here say give fluids
The kther half have just said don't give fluids I'm killing rhem
