Weaned calves very loose...

[crashbox]

Some of our weaned heifers (80 to 100 days old) have developed very loose, watery, grayish muck. Smells bad, not like normal muck.

Current diet is 3kg calf cake + deccox (split 50/50 morning and afternoon), ad lib hay and barley straw.

Vet has been out and taken samples, negative for cocci, running some more tests.

Any ideas what to do?

 

[DairyNerd]

Some of our weaned heifers (80 to 100 days old) have developed very loose, watery, grayish muck. Smells bad, not like normal muck.

Current diet is 3kg calf cake + deccox (split 50/50 morning and afternoon), ad lib hay and barley straw.

Vet has been out and taken samples, negative for cocci, running some more tests.

Any ideas what to do?

Only a thought but 3kg sounds like fair drop of cake for 12-14 weeks old. Guess they are about 100kg so even if eating 3% bodyweight then they are not eating a lot of straw/hay.

 

[Northern Luke]

Sounds like Cryptosporidium.
Will need pens/shed cleaned and disinfecting etc.
Vet should be able to test, but I'd wager it's secondary to the diet.

 

[crashbox]

Only a thought but 3kg sounds like fair drop of cake for 12-14 weeks old. Guess they are about 100kg so even if eating 3% bodyweight then they are not eating a lot of straw/hay.

Yes fair point, we used to ad lib feed them! How much would yours be on?

 

[crashbox]

Sounds like Cryptosporidium.
Will need pens/shed cleaned and disinfecting etc.
Vet should be able to test, but I'd wager it's secondary to the diet.

Yes agree, doubt in my mind as tested negative for cocci and already feeding deccox cake...

Will drench some tomorrow with dycoxan.

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

Yes agree, doubt in my mind as tested negative for cocci and already feeding deccox cake...

Will drench some tomorrow with dycoxan.

Crypto is different to cocci

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

Halocur is used for crypto

 

[crashbox]

Yes agree, doubt in my mind as tested negative for cocci and already feeding deccox cake...

Will drench some tomorrow with dycoxan.

Sorry misread that. Yes I'll ask about it

 

[crashbox]

Halocur is used for crypto

Thanks misread it, I'll prod the vet. Thought crypto was normally a risk for younger calves?

 

[Headless chicken]

Only a thought but 3kg sounds like fair drop of cake for 12-14 weeks old. Guess they are about 100kg so even if eating 3% bodyweight then they are not eating a lot of straw/hay.

Funny you should say this because we’ve actually just dropped ours back from 3kg to 2kg and think they’re growing better than ever

 

[joep83]

Crypto up to 5 weeks old is the high risk period not likely after that as far as I know.

 

[Jdunn55]

Funny you should say this because we’ve actually just dropped ours back from 3kg to 2kg and think they’re growing better than ever

I think the type of cake makes a big impact too For young calves, high fibre cake is better imo

I feed 3kg but its a high fibre cake

Edit: 1% extra fibre in the cake doesn't sound a lot but when you think that calves won't be eating a lot of feed and if cake is making up a majority of the diet it suddenly is a fairly big percentage difference

 

[Barmyfarmer]

Bit to much cake would be my guess, is the formulation different to normal?

 

[Headless chicken]

I think the type of cake makes a big impact too For young calves, high fibre cake is better imo

I feed 3kg but its a high fibre cake

I agree. Rumen development is paramount. We’re feeding dairy blend but it’s got serious fizz. I’d like to see them on chopped straw but the stuff we’ve got is far from long anyway.

 

[Jdunn55]

I agree. Rumen development is paramount. We’re feeding dairy blend but it’s got serious fizz. I’d like to see them on chopped straw but the stuff we’ve got is far from long anyway.

I'm about to move mine over to home n dry treated barley (ones over 4 months) not sure how they'll do yet going to start them on 2kg to begin with

I've got access to a straw chopper, really should chop some up for the calves at some point

 

[betweenthelines]

Any urea protein in the feed?

 

[DairyNerd]

Yes fair point, we used to ad lib feed them! How much would yours be on?

Flying herd. Always reared calves on low input units before though so not really ever fed more than 1kg plus grass or silage but always fed for 3% bodyweight total Did feed Autumns on cake and straw one year when very short of silage but cant remember how much to be honest, i would think that 2kg cake, 1kg straw/hay would give plenty if energy and protein for 100-120kg calves though.

 

[Spudley]

I also think they're having too much cake. We'd never feed more than 1.5 kg a day (but we do have crosses not holsteins). Calves can have cocci and test negative if the infection is in early stages. Since it's Christmas in a few days I'd make sure to get some vecoxan tomorrow, cut the cake right back for 2 or 3 days and see how they go. They may or may not need the vecoxan. I personally think they're too old for crypto.

 

[Princess Pooper]

I think the type of cake makes a big impact too For young calves, high fibre cake is better imo

I feed 3kg but its a high fibre cake

Edit: 1% extra fibre in the cake doesn't sound a lot but when you think that calves won't be eating a lot of feed and if cake is making up a majority of the diet it suddenly is a fairly big percentage difference

We feed up to 3kg high fibre 18% cake but with straw not hay.

 

[crashbox]

Bit to much cake would be my guess, is the formulation different to normal?

Bloody hope formulation is alright at +£400/tonne!