Calf Won't Suck
- Thread starter Wbarker96
- Start date
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Member
- Location
- SW Scotland
I always stick enough of a calf rehydration sachet to taste the milk (about half for a first go but decreasing as feeds progress) with problem drinkers, if it flat out refuses tube it with the same mixture. Also moved to the westfalia speedy feeder bottle and being able to alter the milk flow makes a huge difference in my opinion.
- Location
- Ardrossan Ayrshire
+1
Don't do that. The bicarbonate in them stops the milk clotting in the abomasum and vastly reduces the digestibility of the milk.
If you want to add something it must be specifically formulated to mix with milk (Gel-Lyte and Rehydion).
Why?
___\0/___
Member
- Location
- SW Scotland
Ok fair enough, I have did it once this year and after three feeds I had it sucking after that I added just enough to taste, stopped after day 4. Calf still here and doing well. But will speak to my vet before trying it again.
- Location
- Limousin/Charentes toad land
It's bloody frustrating isn't it
Tubed one for about 8 days last spring. What an alleluia moment, came out one morning to find her happily sucking from mum.
About to start the spring flush of calving again, well give the towel thing a go if we have any problems this year
Tubed one for about 8 days last spring. What an alleluia moment, came out one morning to find her happily sucking from mum.
About to start the spring flush of calving again
, well give the towel thing a go if we have any problems this year
harperfarmer
Member
Had one just like this a few days ago. Quite a hard pull, out of a heifer. Calf did the usual, dopey not wanting to suck thing. The heifer kicked like a mule while milking her out. Tubed the calf with colostrum twice. Tried with the bottle after 12 hours but not interested in the slightest. So I left him for 24 hours as im busy lambing anyway. Went out in the morning, shut the heifer in the calving gate and he showed a bit of interest. Popped him on and away he went. I honestly think if theyve had colostrum it's better to leave them to get hungry. Then they'll suck. It's just so bloody annoying when they won't. But sometimes the more you try, the more determined they are not to suck.
M-J-G
Member
I find that stimulating them is key if they're a bit slow.
Get it up and rub it up and down its back for a min or two, then start to vigorously rub it from its hocks up to its tail like the cow does when she's cleaning it's arse, do that for as long as you can manage to they push it up along the cows belly as it would stand if it were about to suck.
If that doesn't work try again this evening.
Get it up and rub it up and down its back for a min or two, then start to vigorously rub it from its hocks up to its tail like the cow does when she's cleaning it's arse, do that for as long as you can manage to they push it up along the cows belly as it would stand if it were about to suck.
If that doesn't work try again this evening.
Wbarker96
Member
- Location
- Scorton, North Yorkshire
That is a classic sign of selenium/vit e deficiency we used to get a lot of it before we started jagging the cows with selenium.
Wbarker96
Member
- Location
- Scorton, North Yorkshire
Cows were all bolused with trace elements in November.
- Location
- Limousin
Wbarker96
Member
- Location
- Scorton, North Yorkshire
its a heifer actuallyClassic sign of male limmey calves if you ask me.
Never made it into any of the textbooks............
Maybe you need to stop reading Razzle then!
It was a college vet from thurso that told me about it and i:m quite sure he did not make it up.It is also far to much off a coincidence that as soon as we started jagging cows with selenium the problem disappeared my own vets had told me that it was linked to bvd so we tested every animal on the farm and they were all clear.I was tearing my hair out as I was having to give a sook to over half the calves born, now with the bolus to the cows and megastart tubs I will only have to help 2 or 3 a season.
Experience can sometimes be worth more than text books & theory