Calf Won't Suck

[Wbarker96]

Had a calf born Friday night seemed lively at first but hadn't sucked that night and still cant get it to either on bottle or cow. Don't really know what to do with it. Any ideas?

 

[shearerlad]

Bit of honey on the teat may help

 

[bovine]

Temperature? Demeanour? Colostrum? Difficult birth?

Covering their eyes works if its simply stupidity.

 

[Clive Tee]

Give it some by hand/bottle to get a taste for it, but leave it still hungry.

 

[Flossie]

Had a calf born Friday night seemed lively at first but hadn't sucked that night and still cant get it to either on bottle or cow. Don't really know what to do with it. Any ideas?

I take it you've been stomach tubing it?
Is it still lively or is it weary? If lively, I'd be tempted to miss a feed to make it hungry, but if weary keep tubing till it goes one way or the other

 

[Alicecow]

Dribble some in by syringe to get it the taste?

Stomach tube if it doesn't drink something soon, or it'll collapse.

 

[Wbarker96]

@bovine havn't checked its temperature will do in morning. Calf seems lively enough but a little dopey. Had two lots of colostrum and was calved no bother.

 

[bovine]

Then put a towel over its head with the teat

 

[Alicecow]

I take it you've been stomach tubing it?
Is it still lively or is it weary? If lively, I'd be tempted to miss a feed to make it hungry, but if weary keep tubing till it goes one way or the other

Yes, but I left my awkward cuss 30 hours and he still wouldn't drink from the bottle, but he would suck the cow, only she had hardly anything there.

 

[Wbarker96]

Have been tubing it twice a day and trying it with bottle and on the cow each time. Seems like it wants to suck but wont if that makes sense

 

[Wbarker96]

Then put a towel over its head with the teat

Will try it can't do any harm.

Bit of honey on the teat may help

and will try that aswell

 

[Flossie]

Yes, but I left my awkward cuss 30 hours and he still wouldn't drink from the bottle, but he would suck the cow, only she had hardly anything there.

I only ever let them miss a feed, then I would tube them. Sometimes the tongue or face can be a bit swollen and it takes it a day or two to go down, before they realise how to use their tongue and suck
And judging by the OP's avatar, it's a limmy calf

 

[Wbarker96]

I only ever let them miss a feed, then I would tube them. Sometimes the tongue or face can be a bit swollen and it takes it a day or two to go down, before they realise how to use their tongue and suck
And judging by the OP's avatar, it's a limmy calf

Its keeps sticking its tounge out the side but doesn't seem swollen. And yes it is a limmy calf and its out the heifer on my avatar aswell

 

[Alicecow]

Mine had no lim in him, just wouldn't suck under any circumstances :- cow present or absent; lamb teat, white teat, shoof teat; just nothing. Just tubed him for a week, then let him off with mum and got him onto nuts and weaned asap. That's not much help to you though. Are you absolutely sure he's not supping a bit when you're not looking, after all you can't be looking at him 24/7

 

[Flossie]

Its keeps sticking its tounge out the side but doesn't seem swollen. And yes it is a limmy calf and its out the heifer on my avatar aswell

I'm just being cheeky about limmys! We've never found them the brightest Stick at it-I'm guessing it will realise what it's tongue is for soon

 

[Wbarker96]

Mine had no lim in him, just wouldn't suck under any circumstances :- cow present or absent; lamb teat, white teat, shoof teat; just nothing. Just tubed him for a week, then let him off with mum and got him onto nuts and weaned asap. That's not much help to you though. Are you absolutely sure he's not supping a bit when you're not looking, after all you can't be looking at him 24/7

Your right cant be looking 24/7 but fairly sure its not sucking

 

[Johngee]

Its keeps sticking its tounge out the side but doesn't seem swollen. And yes it is a limmy calf and its out the heifer on my avatar aswell

Sounds like it's a double muscled calf. I had one last year and I had to hold my hand round his snout while trying to get him to suck the bottle. Later on when he was sucking the cow I had to watch him and pop the tongue back in his mouth now and again.

 

[Alicecow]

Bovine's towel is worth a try.

 

[Coldbrook]

Might be stating the obvious but make sure the milk is hot ie warmer than core temp ,by the time you've milked the cow and put in bottle it has cooled down. Have the odd brown swiss cross here that are stupid at first but seem to get sucking if the milk is hotter than what you would normally give.

 

[Wbarker96]

Might be stating the obvious but make sure the milk is hot ie warmer than core temp ,by the time you've milked the cow and put in bottle it has cooled down. Have the odd brown swiss cross here that are stupid at first but seem to get sucking if the milk is hotter than what you would normally give.

Have been putting hot milk in with what i milk off the cow.