New heifer calf has scours

farmergirl · #1 12/09/06, 01:59 PM

I picked up 2 young heifers at the sale this Wednesday. Both seemed fine, although a bit underweight. I started them on a 14% calf grower pellet and grass hay. Within 36 hours, one of the heifers developed scours that have not gone away. She's eating and drinking okay. She's the older of the two calves and weighs about 200#, has been weaned for awhile now I assume. Is it possible that a calf who was foraging on poor pasture up until last week would react this way when fed good quality feed free choice? I think she has lice because she's been rubbing her face alot. I do plan to deworm them with pour-on ivermectin this coming week.

moopups · #2 12/09/06, 02:29 PM

Scours comes from a lack of beneficial bacteria in their system, give her acidophollis milk or yogurt.

And, yes the feed change could also play in this case.

arabian knight · #3 12/09/06, 04:37 PM

One Raw Egg~! shell and all. Put egg in mouth break it, hold head up till calf done chewing, and old fashioned remedy but does work.

~Tomboy~ · #4 12/09/06, 05:46 PM

You might want to check with you Vet about worming at this time of year. I am also in Texas, we try and do our last worming around Oct. Just to avoid any possible problems. This might not be the same situation in your area, just wanted to give you a heads up notice.

Below is taken off of the ivomec label:

IVOMEC Pour-On effectively controls all stages of cattle grubs. However, proper timing of treatment is important. For the most effective results, cattle should be treated as soon as possible after the end of the heel fly (warble fly) season. While this is not peculiar to ivermectin, destruction of Hypoderma larvae (cattle grubs) at the period when these grubs are in vital areas may cause undesirable host-parasite reactions. Killing Hypoderma lineatum when it is in the esophageal tissues may cause bloat; killing H. bovis when it is in the vertebral canal may cause staggering or paralysis. Cattle should be treated either before or after these stages of grub development.

Cattle treated with IVOMEC Pour-On at the end of the fly season may be re-treated with IVOMEC during the winter without danger of grub-related reactions. For further information and advice on a planned parasite control program, consult your veterinarian.

mtman · #5 12/09/06, 06:20 PM

pepto and raw eggs in a bottle they shouldnt need much grain at that weight maybee half pound a day more can give them scours

farmergirl · #6 12/09/06, 07:36 PM

MtnMan,
I'm not feeding them any grain, just coastal hay and calf feeder pellets.

mtman · #7 12/10/06, 06:04 AM

if the coastal grass is to green that can do it allso

Tiffin · #8 12/11/06, 04:46 AM

I had the same problem with a 4 month old steer. He was fine at the farm we bought him from but as soon as he got here he started. I thought at first it was being on pasture which he had not been on at his birth farm, but it continued. I tried the pour on dewormer; didn't work. I finally took a sample of his manure to the vet. He was full of worms and coccidiosis. Vet had me put him on medicated pellets for 28 days. It fixed him right up. He hasn't had it since. None of our other beefers had a problem even though the vet said they will all have it. He wanted me to medicate all of them but I just did the one. By the way, the little guy noticeably perked up and gained weight faster. I wish I had not waited.

farmergirl · #9 12/13/06, 04:47 PM

This morning she had a runny nose and was wheezing a bit. I'm guessing she's come down with pneumonia. Perhaps the scours weakened her immune system? Anyhow, I injected her with LA 200. She's still energetic and eating the grass hay fine. Poops have firmed up some, but still runny.

js2743 · #10 12/13/06, 11:15 PM

there are scour pills you can get from a farm store or vet i would try those have always worked for me. you would also need a pill gun i call it, to insert them into her. not sure of the name of these pills but last ones i used i think they was yellow in color.

de Molay · #11 12/21/06, 08:40 AM

The pills are called a scour Bolus it is administered by weight via a bolus gun or if no access to one use a small hose with a piece of dowling for a plunger...Place the bolus in the end of the hose, get someone to hold her head high, so it closed off the lungs push the tube down the right side of her tongue past the back of her tongue and push in the plunger...What I have found with scours from when I run commercial beef is that the very best product is a natural substance called diametious earth...It is cheap, it has to be a fine white powder, there are different grades, free choice for calves, lambs, goats etc any animal in an area where only the calves can get at it, we never again had scours once we started using this product....I also mixed it in oats to worm horses, and you can dust it onto the backs of animals and chickens even to get rid of lice or ticks....It is made from ground up volcanic material and is completely safe.....Use the bolus in an advanced case and get lots of elctrolite into the calve...To prevent scours proactively always have free choice diametious earth available from birth....