Calves dropping

[icanshootwell]

Really concerned at the moment had lots of calves lying flat out, they seem warm but are weak and don,t want to get up, gave them hydration gel and pen and strip. One calf was better today but had 2 more with the same symptoms. Not sure if its linked but had a couple of cows go down with very bad mastitis, vet treated them both yesterday but one died in the night and the other seems to be getting better. Will muck shed out tomorrow and disinfect it. Never had anything like this before.

 

[cousinjack]

Check your water supply .....

We had an issue with ours and it took us two years to finally figure it out !!!

 

[Princess Pooper]

Really concerned at the moment had lots of calves lying flat out, they seem warm but are weak and don,t want to get up, gave them hydration gel and pen and strip. One calf was better today but had 2 more with the same symptoms. Not sure if its linked but had a couple of cows go down with very bad mastitis, vet treated them both yesterday but one died in the night and the other seems to be getting better. Will muck shed out tomorrow and disinfect it. Never had anything like this before.

Has vet done minerals profile from cow bloods, may be low immune system (selenium, iodine). Have they had access to dry cow minerals for a few weeks prior to calving? Sounds like cows could be E coli mastitis, we had one (dairy) last week, they need metacam asap and probably rehydration, as well as possibly oxytocin and or antibiotics depending on your vet's advice. Ours had metacam and a tube but was still really ill 8 hr later so had vet out and he rehydrated and gave flunixin and injectable antibiotics. She very nearly didn't make it, have saved the cow but not sure if she has any future as a milker now. Has your vet taken milk sample for bacteriology?
,.

 

[Werzle]

Calves could be getting ill from lack of colostrum if the cows calved down with mastitis

 

[Paul E]

blood test for iodine.
now.

 

[John Chance]

Use iodine as a pour on (on the cows). If it is Iodine shortage, that'll help. If not it won't hurt. As with all advice from TFF idiots, check with your vet first.

 

[icanshootwell]

No its not iodine, they had plenty of buckets with it in.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Use iodine as a pour on (on the cows). If it is Iodine shortage, that'll help. If not it won't hurt. As with all advice from TFF idiots, check with your vet first.

Careful it can hurt. A link is appearing between over supplementation of iodine close to calving and poor colostrum uptake in the calf.

 

[Agrivator]

Really concerned at the moment had lots of calves lying flat out, they seem warm but are weak and don,t want to get up, gave them hydration gel and pen and strip. One calf was better today but had 2 more with the same symptoms. Not sure if its linked but had a couple of cows go down with very bad mastitis, vet treated them both yesterday but one died in the night and the other seems to be getting better. Will muck shed out tomorrow and disinfect it. Never had anything like this before.

The commonest cause is rotavirus etc. Did your vet take samples? And if that proves to be the cause, treat each calf with an appropriate capsule or paste ASAP after birth.

Rotavec vaccine for pregnant cows can be administered between 20 days and 90 days pre caving, and costs about £9 per cow.

 

[Werzle]

The commonest cause is rotavirus etc. Did your vet take samples? And if that proves to be the cause, treat each calf with an appropriate capsule or paste ASAP after birth.
Rotavec vaccine for pregnant cows can be administered between 20 days and 90 days pre caving, and cost about £9 per cow.

I wouldnt attempt calving without using rotavec corona , cows also get 15ml of iodine down there flanks and lifeline tubs. Colostrum is like a custard glue.

 

[Forestlands]

Really concerned at the moment had lots of calves lying flat out, they seem warm but are weak and don,t want to get up, gave them hydration gel and pen and strip. One calf was better today but had 2 more with the same symptoms. Not sure if its linked but had a couple of cows go down with very bad mastitis, vet treated them both yesterday but one died in the night and the other seems to be getting better. Will muck shed out tomorrow and disinfect it. Never had anything like this before.

Have you considered hypocalcemia? Have dairy goats had similar on going problem, vets had not been able to identify problem. Was totally pee'd off and determined, while watching a good milking nanny that was down I had the idea of trying for hypocalcemia. Gave Calciject 2 150 ml to start, waited and got some response, gradually increased. Could not say it was hypocalcemia, did not fit what I would expect, had an inkling, spoke to vet several times. Gave Calciject to a youngster, not the nannies kid, and got a good response! Goats treated made a good recovery, monitor

Vet did blood tests which confirmed calcium levels low. Calcium in feed ration very low, .83%, had not bothered to check as been using the feed for years, was once CWG. Heard from another person with goats, same had happened to her goats, sadly she lost those affected! The answer was in the feed, must have dropped the amount of calcium in the feed! Calcium in feed for dairy goats should be 3 to 4%. Hope all works out well for you!

 

[sheepwise]

@icanshootwell you haven't actually said that the calves are scouring and I think most who have replied are thinking they are. If they are merely lying flat out but otherwise bright. I would be looking at the first stages of some form of joint-ill as recumbancy and reluctance to stand are usually the first signs.Would also explain why they have responded to the antibiotic.

 

[icanshootwell]

@icanshootwell you haven't actually said that the calves are scouring and I think most who have replied are thinking they are. If they are merely lying flat out but otherwise bright. I would be looking at the first stages of some form of joint-ill as recumbancy and reluctance to stand are usually the first signs.Would also explain why they have responded to the antibiotic.

Yes some are 2 weeks old and had it confirmed today its crypto scours, some of the older calves are recovering well from dehydration gel and penicillin. but lost a 2 day old last night.

 

[DB67]

Careful it can hurt. A link is appearing between over supplementation of iodine close to calving and poor colostrum uptake in the calf.

Yep was at a meeting yesterday and this was highlighted.

 

[Farmer 7 and a half sheep]

coccidiosis has given me lots of problems in the past with similar symptoms, I've used both baycoxs and vicoxan both with good results

 

[Happy]

Careful it can hurt. A link is appearing between over supplementation of iodine close to calving and poor colostrum uptake in the calf.

Apparently there was a feature about increased problem of over supplementation of iodine in the FW a week or two back.

The power of TFF again?
Iodine virtually been a cure for all on here as far back as I can remember.

Is it just pre Calver buckets they’ve been getting for minerals @icanshootwell?

 

[Princess Pooper]

Apparently there was a feature about increased problem of over supplementation of iodine in the FW a week or two back.

The power of TFF again?
Iodine virtually been a cure for all on here as far back as I can remember.

@icanshootwell?

But I seem to recall that the vet @bovine used to roll his eyes and say that in most cases this was not the solution.

 

[manhill]

Live in hope that one day we will beat mastitis.
Good luck with the calves

 

[Purli R]

No its not iodine, they had plenty of buckets with it in.

Yeah right!
Had them tested yet?
Ours had hi Iodine minerals, 2x Hi iodine boluses, and Iodine poured on them and they still didn't have enough.
I'm not gonna tell you what you should do, but just chucking Iodine buckets in with them, and assuming they've been taking enough, then denying there may be an Iodine issue when the symptoms suggest one, reminds me of one of these.

If you had already had them tested for Iodine, and correctly ruled it out (not ASSUMED) then you can move on to the next possibility.

 

[Agrivator]

I think am ostrich with its head in the sand is actually checking its egg is ok - And not refusing to face up to reality.