Calf will not suck cow!

WMoo

Member
Livestock Farmer
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?
 

WMoo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Vitasel and steroid injection off your vet
Yeah, it & its, now dead, predecessor have had the steroid injection etc. Didn't help so it had to be fed with the tube again & we really can't keep doing that.

The vet has tried everything & we have too but it will expire I would think.

Biggest issue is the 25 cows which are in calf to this bull -- if it is a genetic thing, what do we do?
 

Netherfield

Member
Location
West Yorkshire
bolt_pistol.jpg
the Bull
 
Yeah, it & its, now dead, predecessor have had the steroid injection etc. Didn't help so it had to be fed with the tube again & we really can't keep doing that.

The vet has tried everything & we have too but it will expire I would think.

Biggest issue is the 25 cows which are in calf to this bull -- if it is a genetic thing, what do we do?
If it was me I would pour 20/30 ml of iodine down your cows backs and bolus them ASAP with cosecure or something decent
We get a few like this and vitasel (Vitenium) or similar vitamin e Selinium injection does work but you need to be careful and be patient
Worst one took a fortnight of milking the cow and tubing at least twice a day
Might be genetic might be a deficiency
Like most things I’m life what’s done is done deal with what you have some control over first
 

BrianV

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dartmoor
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?
May not work but have been told honey on your fingers sometimes gets them interested.
 

WMoo

Member
Livestock Farmer
If it was me I would pour 20/30 ml of iodine down your cows backs and bolus them ASAP with cosecure or something decent
We get a few like this and vitasel (Vitenium) or similar vitamin e Selinium injection does work but you need to be careful and be patient
Worst one took a fortnight of milking the cow and tubing at least twice a day
Might be genetic might be a deficiency
Like most things I’m life what’s done is done deal with what you have some control over first
Thanks for the info.
We did give them Vit E but no help so far.
I don’t even think it is a deficiency as cows are bolussed & there are 3 cows calved in the last week - 2 calves absolutely fine with calves from different bulls.
Same with the previous one - 3 or 4 other cows calved that week & zero issues.
It is just the calves from this new bull so far.
One more due in a few week’s time to him.
If it’s the same as the last ones, it is bye bye time for him & decision time for the cows…
Will throw iodine onto the next cow anyway & give her a drench anyway though.
 
Thanks for the info.
We did give them Vit E but no help so far.
I don’t even think it is a deficiency as cows are bolussed & there are 3 cows calved in the last week - 2 calves absolutely fine with calves from different bulls.
Same with the previous one - 3 or 4 other cows calved that week & zero issues.
It is just the calves from this new bull so far.
One more due in a few week’s time to him.
If it’s the same as the last ones, it is bye bye time for him & decision time for the cows…
Will throw iodine onto the next cow anyway & give her a drench anyway though.
It is very possible it’s the bull. I’ve had this problem before. What type of boluses did you use? One of our vets did a test on various boluses effects on daily bloods and although they all worked of a fashion there was a big difference between the best and worst ones. Usually if it’s iodine deficiency the cows will be rejecting their calves as in my allowing them to suck. Have you had any of that?
If you take care you can tube them for a while until their suck reflex gets going. I know it’s frustrating at the time.
 

WMoo

Member
Livestock Farmer
It is very possible it’s the bull. I’ve had this problem before. What type of boluses did you use? One of our vets did a test on various boluses effects on daily bloods and although they all worked of a fashion there was a big difference between the best and worst ones. Usually if it’s iodine deficiency the cows will be rejecting their calves as in my allowing them to suck. Have you had any of that?
If you take care you can tube them for a while until their suck reflex gets going. I know it’s frustrating at the
Mix butter and sugar get it to suck your fingers then onto tit thats if it will suck your fingers
It definitely won’t suck your fingers!
Mix butter and sugar get it to suck your fingers then onto tit thats if it will suck your finge
 

WMoo

Member
Livestock Farmer
I’ve tried this but never sure wether it was this or the injection. Some reckon white chocolate is a good thing to get them going
It is very possible it’s the bull. I’ve had this problem before. What type of boluses did you use? One of our vets did a test on various boluses effects on daily bloods and although they all worked of a fashion there was a big difference between the best and worst ones. Usually if it’s iodine deficiency the cows will be rejecting their calves as in my allowing them to suck. Have you had any of that?
If you take care you can tube them for a while until their suck reflex gets going. I know it’s frustrating at the time.
They got an All Trace bolus & a Mag/ Selenium one. There is a lick bucket with them as well.
No issues with cows rejecting calves or not letting them suck.
It’s almost like the calves are brain damaged or something.
The other one was tuned for over 3 weeks before it expired and not a sign of it doing anything sensible.
 

WMoo

Member
Livestock Farmer
It is very possible it’s the bull. I’ve had this problem before. What type of boluses did you use? One of our vets did a test on various boluses effects on daily bloods and although they all worked of a fashion there was a big difference between the best and worst ones. Usually if it’s iodine deficiency the cows will be rejecting their calves as in my allowing them to suck. Have you had any of that?
If you take care you can tube them for a while until their suck reflex gets going. I know it’s frustrating at the time.
When you say that you’d this issue with a bull, was it every calf from him & what did you do with them?
 
When you say that you’d this issue with a bull, was it every calf from him & what did you do with them?
I remember having multiple calves poor to get sucking just got rid of the bull and tried my best with the calves. I probably wasn’t as well up in how to deal with them then either hence why I’m trying to give some help in the bit I know. Strange bit is the ones that calved outside always seemed to be ok compared to what calved in, which always lead me to the conclusion that a deficiency still played a part in the problem.
 

welger

Member
Location
derbyshire
If it was me I would pour 20/30 ml of iodine down your cows backs and bolus them ASAP with cosecure or something decent
We get a few like this and vitasel (Vitenium) or similar vitamin e Selinium injection does work but you need to be careful and be patient
Worst one took a fortnight of milking the cow and tubing at least twice a day
Might be genetic might be a deficiency
Like most things I’m life what’s done is done deal with what you have some control over first
We put iodine down the back
 

welger

Member
Location
derbyshire
We had a calf that would not suck it’s mum Wasn’t nasty-we feed him for a month and gave up. Let him die I said.put with the other cows and calves and he will suck off any cow but is mum
 

WMoo

Member
Livestock Farmer
I remember having multiple calves poor to get sucking just got rid of the bull and tried my best with the calves. I probably wasn’t as well up in how to deal with them then either hence why I’m trying to give some help in the bit I know. Strange bit is the ones that calved outside always seemed to be ok compared to what calved in, which always lead me to the conclusion that a deficiency still played a part in the problem.
That sounds different to these.
We’ve had the usual ones which are hard to get to suck - rough udders, big dozy calves etc.
We’ve even bred pedigree Belgian Blues for years & you’ll get every level of nonsense with these but never had anything like these 2 calves.
Hard to describe them which is why we’re thinking it might be genetic & if anyone else ever had this.
 

AngusLad

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scottish Borders
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

 

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