Weird Calf

[steveR]

Ok, not actually weird, but never seen anything like it before....

We had a bought in, Pedigree Red Poll heifer calve down this morning, she had been isolated as we thought she was getting close and had bagged up a tiny bit and was slack at the back end... No sliming last night, but we were not expecting her to calve for a few days based on the signs... She looks OK, not too fat and not too thin, been housed on a hay and silage diet with ad lib mollassed minerals

I was doing the feeding this morning, and found she had popped the wee lad out. He had no get up and go and first thought was maybe a difficult calving and got stressed. The strange thing was the tongue protruding, both out the side or the front of the mouth. He didn't want to get up easily and suck and she was a bit unhappy and I didn't want to have the calf kicked and discouraged, so we milked off a litre or so and bottled hi. Not a huge amount of milk, but OK.

Again, the bloody tongue was in evidence and was stopping him grabbing hold of the bottle teat properly, so I had to position the tongue in the mouth to enable him to suck properly!

About to go out again at 11pm and bottle him and hope he is brighter tomorrow...

Any ideas whats up with him? Neither of us have seen this business with the tongue before over many years of Sucklers, its quite weird He is small, but seems OK and doesnt appear Prem.

 

[liammogs]

Used to get it alot in BB calves years ago....just lazy pain in the ass time hindering blighters! Weather it's a deficiency or some sort unsure but perseverance is all you need

 

[steveR]

Used to get it alot in BB calves years ago....just lazy pain in the ass time hindering blighters! Weather it's a deficiency or some sort unsure but perseverance is all you need

I Wondered about a deficiency as well, as we've got 25 odd Cows due shortly... I've always been keen to use good quality palatable buckets as I am of the view a few quid/cow is money well spent!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We get a few of those lazy-tongue jokers from dairy herds, take a bit of time and choice language but they usually soon get the hang of it - this is on feeders with peachteats, mind
Usually we just tube them their full whack of colostrum if they're showing any signs of being "slow" and then work on them next day, at least they've got it then.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Floppy tongue syndrome. SAC are seeing more and more cases. Not sure on the cause yet but if you can get them drinking then then grow out if it.

 

[hendrebc]

Iodine?

 

[Werzle]

I had one once, had to feed him for a fortnight until the rest of his body caught up with the size of his tongue. He would bite the sides of it and make it bleed while trying to suck and it put him off sucking

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

I have seen it sometimes when calving has been prolonged / tight. Swelling goes down very quickly though..

 

[Werzle]

I have seen it sometimes when calving has been prolonged / tight. Swelling goes down very quickly though..

Yes agreed but mine was just a freak, no problem calving and not a big calf either.

 

[Woolless]

I have seen it sometimes when calving has been prolonged / tight. Swelling goes down very quickly though..

Yes, I wondered about that, similar to a hung lamb. Doesn't sound likes that's the problem in this case though.

 

[steveR]

Used to get it alot in BB calves years ago....just lazy pain in the ass time hindering blighters! Weather it's a deficiency or some sort unsure but perseverance is all you need

I Wondered about a deficiency as well, as we've got 25 odd Cows due shortly... I've always been keen to use good quality palatable buckets as I am of the view a few quid/cow is money well spent!

 

[steveR]

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions. Little blighter is still faffing around with his Mum's tit, so tubed it today as wouldn't suck at all after a modest drink at 7.30. See if that kickstarts his digestion a bit!!

Tongue is behaving a little better now.

We get a few of those lazy-tongue jokers from dairy herds, take a bit of time and choice language but they usually soon get the hang of it - this is on feeders with peachteats, mind
Usually we just tube them their full whack of colostrum if they're showing any signs of being "slow" and then work on them next day, at least they've got it then.

Peachtits?? Newe one on me there Pete!

Definitely testing my temper this morning...

 

[Top Tip.]

Ok, not actually weird, but never seen anything like it before....

We had a bought in, Pedigree Red Poll heifer calve down this morning, she had been isolated as we thought she was getting close and had bagged up a tiny bit and was slack at the back end... No sliming last night, but we were not expecting her to calve for a few days based on the signs... She looks OK, not too fat and not too thin, been housed on a hay and silage diet with ad lib mollassed minerals

I was doing the feeding this morning, and found she had popped the wee lad out. He had no get up and go and first thought was maybe a difficult calving and got stressed. The strange thing was the tongue protruding, both out the side or the front of the mouth. He didn't want to get up easily and suck and she was a bit unhappy and I didn't want to have the calf kicked and discouraged, so we milked off a litre or so and bottled hi. Not a huge amount of milk, but OK.

Again, the bloody tongue was in evidence and was stopping him grabbing hold of the bottle teat properly, so I had to position the tongue in the mouth to enable him to suck properly!

About to go out again at 11pm and bottle him and hope he is brighter tomorrow...

Any ideas whats up with him? Neither of us have seen this business with the tongue before over many years of Sucklers, its quite weird He is small, but seems OK and doesnt appear Prem.

These symptoms are a sign of selenium deficiency,give him a jag of selenium and he will come right ,it used to drive me bonkers until I discovered what it was .We are very low in selenium here . I haven’t seen it for a few years now as we bolus the cows pre calving and keep the pre calver tubs too them.

 

[steveR]

These symptoms are a sign of selenium deficiency,give him a jag of selenium and he will come right ,it used to drive me bonkers until I discovered what it was .We are very low in selenium here . I haven’t seen it for a few years now as we bolus the cows pre calving and keep the pre calver tubs too them.

Thank you, I will check the buckets I am using. Neighbour was having probs with his calves a year or 3 back, I will have a word with him too...


Never knowingly seen this here, but I'll have a chat with the Vets in the morning. Don't have any Vit here anyway... I wonder if the breed could be prone to the problem?

 

[Top Tip.]

Thank you, I will check the buckets I am using. Neighbour was having probs with his calves a year or 3 back, I will have a word with him too...


Never knowingly seen this here, but I'll have a chat with the Vets in the morning. Don't have any here anyway... I wonder if the breed could be prone to the problem?

My experience was that the buckets were not supplying enough that is why we now bolus as well. I wouldn’t think that it would be breed specific although the pure bred could be more susceptible.

 

[Top Tip.]

Thank you, I will check the buckets I am using. Neighbour was having probs with his calves a year or 3 back, I will have a word with him too...


Never knowingly seen this here, but I'll have a chat with the Vets in the morning. Don't have any here anyway... I wonder if the breed could be prone to the problem?

My experience was that the buckets were not supplying enough that is why we now bolus as well. I wouldn’t think that it would be breed specific although the pure bred could be more susceptible.

 

[steveR]

My experience was that the buckets were not supplying enough that is why we now bolus as well. I wouldn’t think that it would be breed specific although the pure bred could be more susceptible.

I spoke with the neighbour earlier, and he was tested as Iodine deficient! But now boluses with a multi spectrum item I think.

 

[steveR]

Spoke with the Vet this morning and then went and collected a bottle of MultiMin*. Cow and Calf both jabbed in the anticipation it's selenium deficiency, in spite of min pots with the stuff in them. Min rep said use Chrystallyx pre calver which has massive amounts in, so maybe next year...

Vet also said iodine issues are about so iodised salt blocks on the way too.

All the sucklers nearing calving will get a jab next week as well. BUT, any selenium enriched licks will need removing for a few weeks, to avoid over dosing with Selenium and Copper. This advice was from a really charming tech advisor at Virbac UK.

Calf is up and pottering about, a nice little fellow, tongue is still a nuisance but hopefully be getting there by the weekend as he will suck a bottle if we hold the tongue inside the mouth. Happily, the Cow is quiet with me, although she hates the Missus when we are messing with them... !!



*A relatively new Virbac product in the UK apparently

 

[Pebd99]

A jab of anti inflammatory and some loxicom normally gets them past that dopey big tongue stage with us.

 

[steveR]

Quick Update:

The calf is now thriving and most of the time looks fine, UNTIL he has a suck then out that damned tongue comes again! Makes him look a right eedjit. Think he'll go on fine now, Mum is eating well and has come into a bit of Milk.

However, I don't think we will be registering him anytime soon as a pedigree bull... in spite of pleas from Sprog One!

Min buckets removed from the cows on advice from Virbac vet, and jabbed the lot with selenium today. ? now....