Sniffles or milk?

LittleRedHen · #1 02/27/08, 05:51 PM

I am bottle feeding my two calves that I got from the auction. If you read my other post, they are Jersey Crosses, about 90 lbs and I am not positive on age but likely within a week old.

The bigger of the two likes to stick his whole mouth and nose in to drink and a few times he did have milk running out his nose when he was done. Well now he has developed a bit of a noise as he breaths. It isn't coming deep and there is no fever. It is kind of the sound when a human breaths when they have a bit of snot in their nose.

I am wondering if the calf has a bit of mucus or milk in the nasal area. Is there a way to know one way or the other? What could be wrong?

This is Michigan and its cold but the two calves are in a shelter together with straw and they seem warm enough. Should I give them a heat lamp? Its about 20 degrees at night. They are closed in so no drafts and they sleep on straw. Both their poo is fine and does not seem to have problems there. It is just the slightly noisy breathing from the bigger one.

Sound okay? Sure reminds me of my early chicken days when every time they did something I was worried LOL.

So suggestions? Advice?

topside1 · #2 02/27/08, 06:22 PM

I don't bucket feed untill after two weeks of age...but that's me.

LittleRedHen · #3 02/27/08, 07:43 PM

I got penicillin and a calf bottle tonight... just checking for dosages??

LittleRedHen · #4 02/27/08, 08:34 PM

Well I did it... my first shot

I could never do that for a living LOL but I sure hope the lil guy will live

Madsaw · #5 02/28/08, 07:14 AM

Good job. I hope I will not scare you with a few things that may happen given calves shots. Did you inject in to the back leg? If so there is some tiems a chance to affect teh nerves in the leg. This is just a side effect from where its injected. Usally last 2 to 3 days of the leg not working properly. Did you give him about 10cc, I know its more then what is stated on the bottle. I was told by my old time vet yrs ago to use this amount of claves.
Secondly with newborn to a week old claves they will sometime have a deep rattle in them. This is caused from when they are born. Their lungs did not clear ouot enough. Most of the time they will come out of it with medshelping it along faster. Watch teh nose of the claf. Is it dry? or is it runny. A healthy calf will have a moist nose. Runny down toward the lips indicate the calf is dischaging big amounts of mucus. Dry would show a fever of some degree.
Atleast your in a area that if needed you can get ahold of a cow vet. You may need to get ahold of one to get a shot of Draxin for your calf. It is given under the skin in the neck area. Usally it take 12 to 24 hrs to see inprovements from meds.
Just feel free to ask what ever you need to know.
Later
Bob

LittleRedHen · #6 02/28/08, 08:16 AM

Today it sounded fine. I ended up giving the shot up by the neck because I just couldn't seem to do it right in the leg. I had looked at a beef producer site which showed the neck area. I dont mind blemishes but I figured I had a better chance of getting it right there as it seems to have more muscle ...

I guess my only concern now is, he isn't as aggressive of an eater as the other one. The other one is thriving beautifully. This one only eats maybe half of what the other one eats. This one is a bit more sluggish and much more docile. Is it personality or do I need to keep an extra eye on it?

They loved the heat lamp I put in there last night I think. At least they were under it when I came in there. It was 14 degrees when I got out there this morning. I know I'd be a bit cold too.

And as for the nose, its moist but no discharge or anything. But this calf likes to eat with its head sideways. Is that personality too? I think that is what makes it so difficult to feed it. It wants its head sideways in the bucket and then it doesn't get much milk. So I got the bottle out today and it drank for a little while but went to trying to drink it with its head horizontal lol... and thus that ended the drinking session because he wouldn't just take it. He kept chewing on the nipple instead.

Madsaw · #7 02/28/08, 11:04 AM

Yes keep a eye on this one. One other thing I just thought of, check his naval area. Should be dry also should not be any swelling or soreness. This is just a precaution. Keep them on the bottle they will do alot better. The slugishness is a sign he is either cold or not feeling the best. The heat lamp is a good idea. I know it was nasty here this morn -2. I thought march was going to be this weekend. Been a real hard winter.
As for giving shots. Keep up with his shots for a few more days. How much are you giving him? I usally pull the calf toward my with its side against my legs. With its head faceing to my left. I then pin the calf too me with my left arm and right forarm as I reach over its back and down the hip to give it a shot.
I have been doing this for about 20 yrs so far and its almost second nature taking care of the calves. 4 yrs ago I got to a point I did nto even want tog o to the barn. We lost 16 of 17 calves in 2 weeks. Ranging from 2 days old to a month old. Hard way to learn about cryptosporidia. The vets finally decide thats what we needed to treat for. There is a treatment for it and we use it as a prevention now days. Up to that point I lost maybe 2 calves a yr. Our heifer to bull ratio runs around 60 to 70 percent.
Later
Bob

Madsaw · #8 02/28/08, 11:11 AM

Another thign I thought of too. You can also mix up some electrolytes too and give them midday. BUT, NEVER EVER GIVE ELECTROLYTES WITH IN 2 HRS BEFORE OR AFTER FEEDING MILK OR MIX THEM WITH MILK. It will cause the milk not to curd in the calf and break down. Even a little milk replacer in this cold weather around midday is good too. mayeb just a pint or so would help keep their energy up.
Bob

LittleRedHen · #9 03/01/08, 09:11 AM

Update

We put the calf down this morning. I had still been giving it penicillin (6CC) but it just would not eat enough. I had this problem since day one. My bigger calf drinks 3 pints worth of milk in less than 5 minutes. He is frisky, energenic and very vibrant. The other one.. the one who had the sniffles and got penicillin, I had to fight with it to even take in 1 pint in a feeding. Well it finally came down to being dehydrated and weak to the point we just put it down. I realize I could have had a vet come out and I could have worked with it and coddled it but even then it might not have lived. So we just cut the losses there and I will focus on the good healthy one. I suppose with the prices of hay right now, one cow will be plenty for our family.

But all is not lost. I learned a lot about calves my first week. I know now how to give a calf a shot. I own penicillin and some needles. I shoudl get me a little fishing tackle box and store up items I might need in a pinch with raising animals.

Next time.. if there be a next time with bottle calves... I will get me a nice milking milk goat first. And I will use goats milk (for cost reasons and also the goat can stay in with calves and help each other out) Plus then I can use the goat milk for other things when the calves are weaned too.

So its been a very nice learning experience. I always gotta learn a few hard lessons when I first get into an animal but generally that is where I really learn the most and from there I figure out how to excel.

So thanks for your help with this calf but unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be