Calf wont suck or drink

[Rmk]

I bought a young heifer calf in the sale yard. It wont take a suck or drink mile its roughly 4 weeks old. I think it may have been sucking a cow as its roared for the past few days. I am tubing it to get the milk in till it calms down hopefully... any tips or tricks on how to get a calf to drink from the bucket. Please dont say starve it cos that wont work. It's in a group of 6 calves

 

[mghley]

Had one in the last group of calves we reared. 3 week old calf purchased at market. Wouldn’t suck on bucket teat, bottle or drink from bucket and believe me we tried, tried starving to no avail, came to the conclusion that if we carried on drenching it we would end up with milk on lungs and problems. We ended up sending it to neighbours who had a dairy cow due to go as a cull and stood with it each day. 3/4 weeks later weaned and now doing ok with main group.

 

[Sharpy]

Will it suck from a teat bucket or an easyfeeder bottle? Sometimes it is better to meet things half way.

 

[le bon paysan]

Hold it up against the pen with your legs , cover its eyes with a towel, and feed it on a bottle while holding its head up, hand under its chin.
Be patient.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Don’t feed it for a day, and then try

 

[livestock 1]

Vitasel and Cortisone Steroid injections and a little drop iodine on its back I’ve had loads like that this year

 

[Werzle]

Don’t feed it for a day, and then try

Its the only way with calves that have come off cows, the more you try forcing them or drenching them the worse it is. Just leave them alone to settle down and go hungry

 

[livestock 1]

Little and often is the way for calves. Start missing them for a day and it’s a route in for scour unless they have a bit age on their side

 

[Werzle]

Little and often is the way for calves. Start missing them for a day and it’s a route in for scour unless they have a bit age on their side

Your into quick with the needle and potions for my liking but each to there own. Calfs more likely to scour being force fed than if he has an empty stomach

 

[Zippy768]

We had one. Perfectly healthy from market. Only way to get it to drink was to drench. Weaned him off earlier than usual and now growing nicely.
Absolute pain but still living

 

[livestock 1]

Your into quick with the needle and potions for my liking but each to there own. Calfs more likely to scour being force fed than if he has an empty stomach

We’ve had almost 20 this year done it cows all bolused all had mineral and all the calves up and running some after 24 hours. We blamed the drought. Can’t blame the bull as half off one half off another. The vet told me what to do and until I hear something better.....

 

[Werzle]

We’ve had almost 20 this year done it cows all bolused all had mineral and all the calves up and running some after 24 hours. We blamed the drought. Can’t blame the bull as half off one half off another. The vet told me what to do and until I hear something better.....

ah sorry yes if having problems with your own cows calves its metabolic but thread was about bought in rearing calves, i dont think the bought in one would have lived this long if it was due to lacking something

 

[livestock 1]

ah sorry yes if having problems with your own cows calves its metabolic but thread was about bought in rearing calves, i dont think the bought in one would have lived this long if it was due to lacking something

Some of ours sucked at the beginning then stopped that’s why I put this answer on

 

[Werzle]

Theres been plenty of suckler bred calves going through the calf rings that have been split from there dams and theres always the comment ' i wouldnt fancy getting that bugger to suck the teat'

 

[Rmk]

Had one in the last group of calves we reared. 3 week old calf purchased at market. Wouldn’t suck on bucket teat, bottle or drink from bucket and believe me we tried, tried starving to no avail, came to the conclusion that if we carried on drenching it we would end up with milk on lungs and problems. We ended up sending it to neighbours who had a dairy cow due to go as a cull and stood with it each day. 3/4 weeks later weaned and now doing ok with main group.

Thanks. Like that I thought she was off a cow.

 

[AndrewM]

had one last year, took me a week to get it to suck, patience needed. it will be off a cow. bit of starvation combined with tubing to keep it alive. eventually gets the hang of it.

i now try to finger test all the calves i buy in market, if they wont suck my finger i let some other bugger buy them.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Put it back in the mart and let someone else have the ball ache

 

[Rmk]

Thanks. Like that I thought she was off a cow.

Thanks for that unfortunately we dont have a cow with a bag of milk. We dont have the facilities either

 

[Rmk]

Will it suck from a teat bucket or an easyfeeder bottle? Sometimes it is better to meet things half way.

Wont it's very nervous and goes mad when it sees a human. It came off a cow a normal dropped calf wouldn't do that

 

[Rmk]

Hold it up against the pen with your legs , cover its eyes with a towel, and feed it on a bottle while holding its head up, hand under its chin.
Be patient.

I'll try that one must get the baby bottles out.