Calf will not suck cow!

[AngusLad]

Hours that should be!

 

[WMoo]

Hours that should be!

Thanks for the info.

We were wondering whether we should give it a go even the calf is a bit old & not dozy or anything.
We’ll give it a go tomorrow morning anyway to see what happens.

 

[Weasel]

Why do cows start licking the pee in passage way? Is that a deficiency?

 

[livestock 1]

Why do cows start licking the pee in passage way? Is that a deficiency?

Give them salt they usually stop it then
The proper advice is to get bloods done off half a dozen

 

[Ffermer Bach]

If all mineral deficiencies etc have been exhausted I tried this with a couple of really slow calves last year with pretty good success. Calf needs to be less than 36 years old if I recall correctly

Weak Calf Syndrome and the Madigan Squeeze

If you’ve ever experienced the great sense of relief that follows delivering a calf after a difficult calving, you may have also experienced the disappointment and frustration when that calf is dull, lethargic, and refuses to stand and nurse. We refer to this behavior as neonatal maladjustment...

www.olddominionvets.com

I have heard of something similar with mental health problems and weighted blankets (on people), especially with autism. I will try to remember the link you posted and "keep in my back pocket if needed".

 

[shields kaiser]

I'd tend to still think it could be a Vit/Min defficiency in the respect that if a higher genetic merit bull for growth used, then possibly larger calves??, their requirement for certain vits and mins may be higher than in previous years/bulls, hence the same "dopey" response as you see in herds where Min/Vit supplementation is lacking.
Thinking out loud here, but is a bolus and lick buckets enough to cover the weight of your cows and unborn calf's requirements?
Would be worthwhile speaking to Trouw Nutrition to have a tally up of all Vit/Min inputs - they have a Vit/Min calculator called Minlink. Other companies may have the same, just speaking from my own experience.

Certainly dont want to oversupplement, however I'd be thinking about offering ad-lib dry cow powdered minerals where individual cows can intake to their requirements and offer these a minimum of 3 weeks pre calving date.
I'm speaking from the point of having suffered the same pain as you are going through at moment, hope it all works out anyway, and only adding some thoughts to the conversation.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I'd tend to still think it could be a Vit/Min defficiency in the respect that if a higher genetic merit bull for growth used, then possibly larger calves??, their requirement for certain vits and mins may be higher than in previous years/bulls, hence the same "dopey" response as you see in herds where Min/Vit supplementation is lacking.
Thinking out loud here, but is a bolus and lick buckets enough to cover the weight of your cows and unborn calf's requirements?
Would be worthwhile speaking to Trouw Nutrition to have a tally up of all Vit/Min inputs - they have a Vit/Min calculator called Minlink. Other companies may have the same, just speaking from my own experience.

Certainly dont want to oversupplement, however I'd be thinking about offering ad-lib dry cow powdered minerals where individual cows can intake to their requirements and offer these a minimum of 3 weeks pre calving date.
I'm speaking from the point of having suffered the same pain as you are going through at moment, hope it all works out anyway, and only adding some thoughts to the conversation.

I said to Greg Judy at Groundswell that I used a trace element mixture on the silage and he was adamant that that was the wrong thing to do, he said have individual trace elements that the cows can choose individually as they need, so agreeing with your comment above.

 

[shields kaiser]

I said to Greg Judy at Groundswell that I used a trace element mixture on the silage and he was adamant that that was the wrong thing to do, he said have individual trace elements that the cows can choose individually as they need, so agreeing with your comment above.

Yeah have saw them doing this a lot in America/Australia. Possibly a bit harder to do here as less availability in the individual Raw Materials? Dont know could be worth a look, I just meant a "pre-mixed" dry cow powdered mineral, also usually a lot more cost effective than in a lick bucket. Can often get them waterproofed too or oil coated so they dont clag up with Saliva etc.
Greg Judy must have been interesting guy to speak to!

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Yeah have saw them doing this a lot in America/Australia. Possibly a bit harder to do here as less availability in the individual Raw Materials? Dont know could be worth a look, I just meant a "pre-mixed" dry cow powdered mineral, also usually a lot more cost effective than in a lick bucket. Can often get them waterproofed too or oil coated so they dont clag up with Saliva etc.
Greg Judy must have been interesting guy to speak to!

it was fascinating, he talked as the cattle were moved to a new grazing paddock, bet some of it is available on the groundswell youtube videos

 

[steveR]

Has anyone seen a new born calf which will simply not suck the cow or bottle or anything????

We have loads of calves born and not a problem above the usual where it might take a day to train one to suck a cow with a low/rough udder etc. but this fec'r is different and just will not take anything.

It's the second calf from a new bull -- first calf was exactly the same and died after 3 weeks of fighting with it / tubing it, etc.

I am concerned that it is potentially a genetic thing with this new bull...

Anyone seen anything like this?

Had a real problem with lack if vim and suck last year...

Chelated zinc block and injected selenium supplement for the cows was teh Vets suggestion. So far so good this time with ad lib hig selenium mineralise mollassed buckets (that they like!)

 

[bazza3034]

Get the precalver minerals onto the silage

 

[livestock 1]

Get the precalver minerals onto the silage

We are on the other side of the water but who’s minerals do you recommend?

 

[JSmith]

We’ve used Dennis brinicombe pre calver mins that you hang in the water bosh, we had a couple of dopey calves that’s what started it, ours have always got mag licks out anyway so not sure if it’s worked but haven’t had any dopey calves lately!! Put in water six weeks before due, if your interested I can look what the proper name is

 

[livestock 1]

We’ve used Dennis brinicombe pre calver mins that you hang in the water bosh, we had a couple of dopey calves that’s what started it, ours have always got mag licks out anyway so not sure if it’s worked but haven’t had any dopey calves lately!! Put in water six weeks before due, if your interested I can look what the proper name is

I’m already on with Dennis Brinicome buckets for quite a few jobs I will ask the rep
Do you mix this stuff in water? I quite like powdered mineral it’s cheaper and I often think it does the same job. Some of the tubs to tighten up the calving pattern are £50 a piece

 

[JSmith]

I’m already on with Dennis Brinicome buckets for quite a few jobs I will ask the rep
Do you mix this stuff in water? I quite like powdered mineral it’s cheaper and I often think it does the same job. Some of the tubs to tighten up the calving pattern are £50 a piece

It’s pellet form in a net bag you hang on ball cock ideally so the water washes over it, they don’t totally dissolve, you change after a week!! Aquatrace is the range, easy calver, got selenium an iodine an all sorts of handy stuff in them!! Not saying there any good, just saying I had a issue an this is what I’ve used an I haven’t had an issue since

 

[livestock 1]

It’s pellet form in a net bag you hang on ball cock ideally so the water washes over it, they don’t totally dissolve, you change after a week!! Aquatrace is the range, easy calver, got selenium an iodine an all sorts of handy stuff in them!! Not saying there any good, just saying I had a issue an this is what I’ve used an I haven’t had an issue since

Thanks for this. Sounds like I will be having a go with it. Pain in the arse if these cows start playing up with dosey calves and not letting them suck ect

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I use trace element services lad's cattle minerals sprayed on the silage face twice a week, copper, cobalt, selenium, iodine and zinc

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I use trace element services lad's cattle minerals sprayed on the silage face twice a week, copper, cobalt, selenium, iodine and zinc

Ltd not lads

 

[JSmith]

Thanks for this. Sounds like I will be having a go with it. Pain in the arse if these cows start playing up with dosey calves and not letting them suck ect

Every little helps as they say, worth a few extra quid if it saves a calf or messing with a brain dead fecker that’ll suck anything but a tît

 

[livestock 1]

Every little helps as they say, worth a few extra quid if it saves a calf or messing with a brain dead fecker that’ll suck anything but a tît

I always say this about the rotavec
It’s not just what you save it’s all the time tubing and faffing about four times a day that’s the real saving