Sick calves

GmB

Member
Location
S.Glos
Really struggling to sort this out, vet bill of £700, 1 dead calf and no answers.
Bought in as calves on milk, now weaned, 4mths old sudden loss of condition/weight, not eating, temp ok, no scours, tested negative for Bvd, coccidiosis and ecoli. Vet is out of ideas.
Second calf from another group has developed the same symptoms, is in a group of 10 on barley/protein pellet feed and barley straw, same as the group that lost the calf.
The lost calf was in a group of 4, the other 3 were looking to go the same way, they were given iv fluids by the vet and antibiotic, they took a condition hit, but are now slowly making a comeback.
All weaned onto pellets and then onto the mix. Have always fed soya, but changed to the protein pellets this year as my local miller couldn’t supply soya in small quantities at a sensible price.

Any fresh ideas would be welcome!
 
I once had the same problem , was using our local feed firms rearing nut and the calves were going backwards so went and got some feed from the other local feed mill . I couldn’t believe the difference in the calves within a week!
 

GmB

Member
Location
S.Glos
Urea is a poison to baby calves.
What are you calling a baby calf? Weaned onto 18% pellets at approximately 10wks, then onto 75% pellets/25% plain barley, then onto 50%pellets/50% barley, gradually changing to an 18% mix made of rolled barley and protein pellets. Ad-lib barley straw and water at all times
 

GmB

Member
Location
S.Glos
I once had the same problem , was using our local feed firms rearing nut and the calves were going backwards so went and got some feed from the other local feed mill . I couldn’t believe the difference in the calves within a week!
More wasting away as going backwards. It’s the speed of condition loss that is worrying.
 

Timbo

Member
Location
Gods County
What are you calling a baby calf? Weaned onto 18% pellets at approximately 10wks, then onto 75% pellets/25% plain barley, then onto 50%pellets/50% barley, gradually changing to an 18% mix made of rolled barley and protein pellets. Ad-lib barley straw and water at all times

Under 3 months of age
 

Bojangles

Member
Location
Scotland
I’d definitely be looking at acidosis. Get bicarbonate in to them. Buy a feed with something like alcacid in it. They need fed a different diet. Surprised vet didn’t put a sodium bicarbonate mix in to vein when giving Iv fluids. Poor things rumens can’t cope with what they are on from the sounds of it.
Good luck
 

nelly55

Member
Location
Yorkshire
We have this sort of problem with brought in calves,gave up on vet after he said calves were rubbish.First thing I did was put my brain into gear,loosing condition etc .I decided the stomach was not aborting any goodness from food,changed feed to a good weaner mix like coarse calf mix.Would you eat weetabix or sugar covered frosties.Then I used a liquid additive from Natural stockcare to put all the goodies back in the guts.Also a powder from them on the feed.The worse ones got a bottle of yakult down their necks.
 

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