Sick Calf?

Curtis B · #1 12/22/09, 07:54 AM

I might have two sick calfs. They are both 6 months old, and both have very loose stools. It doesn't apear to be scours, but it is very different that normal. This morning I noticed that one almost looked bloody, it was more redish than normal. On sat they got into the burn pile and ate some newspaper, must of tasted pretty good, cause they didn't want to give it up. I thought that was it, but with the redish color this morning, I'm a bit concerened now. I haven't taken temps yet, but they are acting the same as allways. Any ideas?

ksfarmer · #2 12/22/09, 08:22 AM

I would guess there is no problem, just the results of what they ate. If they are eating normally, bright eyed, ears up, I would keep an eye on them and see if everything returns to normal.

Curtis B · #3 12/22/09, 08:30 AM

Thats what I was thinking, the color this morning kinda got me wondering.

agmantoo · #4 12/22/09, 08:45 AM

A burn pile would be a great place to get hardware disease! Do you think the red could be blood?

Curtis B · #5 12/22/09, 08:54 AM

I'm a bit anal about things like that, I remove anything that won't burn, nails hinges, everything. It is mostly cardboard, glossy newspaper, and wood, and feed sacks. I have found a couple of other burn areas from my perdisessors, that I am working on filling in, but it takes awile doing it by hand. I guess that could be a possibility though, but I haven't seen them in those other areas.

Madsaw · #6 12/22/09, 09:21 AM

With where your from and the weather you have been having there. I would say coccidous. Sulmet orCorrid are 2 good products for it. Both are lquid form and mix with water. Sometimes it makes the water bitter tasting and they won't drink it though. Another appoarch is Sustain III tablets. These are given once every 3 days. With the Sulmet and the S3's if there is a chance of pnuemonia this will also help.
If they are loose and its truning brown and watery with a red tint to it its a touch of coccidous. Sometimes a low grade pnuemonia will give them brown water scours to with out much other sign except maybe a cough or 2.
Bob

myersfarm · #7 12/22/09, 09:59 AM

I agree with MADSAW,,,,,Only thing with that is you will never know if that fixed them or there was nothing wrong with them...I use it ALL THE TIME IN MY MILK as a preventive....after going down one day and finding 3 died calves that were finE 8 hours before......all you want is a live calf any time i see any kind of blood I give CORID

AS I stated do not know if it works but i will use if it cost HUNDREDS of dallors as a preventive.......but It is cheap so I jjust use it 5 cc to 2 1/2 gallons milk

Madsaw · #8 12/22/09, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myersfarm

I agree with MADSAW,,,,,Only thing with that is you will never know if that fixed them or there was nothing wrong with them...I use it ALL THE TIME IN MY MILK as a preventive....after going down one day and finding 3 died calves that were finE 8 hours before......all you want is a live calf any time i see any kind of blood I give CORID

AS I stated do not know if it works but i will use if it cost HUNDREDS of dallors as a preventive.......but It is cheap so I jjust use it 5 cc to 2 1/2 gallons milk

I lost 16 out of 17 in 2 weeks a few winter back. they ranged from 2 days to 3 weeks. Ended up finally getting a culture to show cryptosporidia. Got some stuff from the vet and treated the ones after that and was fine and dandy. We keep it on hand and any indication crypto is back we use it. As you state sometimes useing a drug is cheap preventitve measures. At the time the calves we lost amounted close to $10,000. Expensive learning curve.
Bob

Curtis B · #9 12/22/09, 12:54 PM

I got the CORID (they only had sumlet blouses) to put in the water, and I will put it in tonight. Does anyone know if it will have any ill affects on sheep or poultry. They all tend drink out of the same water tank, no matter how many times I tell them not to.

Thanks for the help.

myersfarm · #10 12/22/09, 01:11 PM

Curtis NOT sure if I would do that it only works if they drink it and it does not taste that good....plus they need it NOW.......I would find the liquid and squirt it in the mouth that way YOU KNOW THEY HAVE IT....or desovle the bolues and put that in mouth just have never done that..would not know what streght to mix it either but they need it NOW

small bottles are $16 gallons are $90 .. if the $90 saves one calf it is worth it to me
tjm

Curtis B · #11 12/22/09, 02:19 PM

That was the best I can get from the store, it is a powder that you mix. It has instructions for a trough. I was thinking of putting in an elctrolite powder I have that is sweet flavored, to try and cut the bitterness. The pond is frozen over, and this is the only source of water for them. Is it so bad that they would quit drinking altogether? I also do not have a head gate, and they are now 450-500 lbs, which makes it that much more difficult, and the main reason I didn't get the blouses. I am open to suggestions.

tinknal · #12 12/22/09, 03:05 PM

They will drink the water. I'm pretty sure corrid is ok for sheep and poultry but read the package.

Curtis B · #13 12/23/09, 07:46 AM

Its official, they are sick. This morning they were not out in the pasture eating, and they have yellowish runny noses. Pnueomonia??? I know one is drinking, but not sure of the other one. More help please!!!!!

Razorback21 · #14 12/23/09, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curtis B

Its official, they are sick. This morning they were not out in the pasture eating, and they have yellowish runny noses. Pnueomonia??? I know one is drinking, but not sure of the other one. More help please!!!!!

At this point and time, you now have multiple symptoms, and when my wife and I get to that point, we bring in the vet. We have to run a tight ship expense-wise like every other beef producer, but when you have scours and some possible pulmonary problems both, the vet would be the answer to make sure you don't lose them.

Good luck with it. Seems like Christmas was always when one of ours would always get sick as well!lol. Tis the season.

ksfarmer · #15 12/23/09, 11:35 AM

Don't shoot in the dark. Call the vet, or better yet, let him take a look at them. If your weather is like it is here in NC Kans,(freezing rain) you can't afford to delay.

Curtis B · #16 12/23/09, 11:59 AM

Well, I called the vet, and pnuemonia was he thought. I got 2 doses of DRAXXIN and gave them. A headgate has officially moved up on my list of equipment needed. They were in the pasture eating when I got home to give the shots, so I am gonna be hopeful.

Curtis B · #17 12/27/09, 08:16 PM

Well, if anyone is still reading this, the boys seem to be feeling much better. They certanly hunkered down for the big storm, and that was the only time they were not in the pasture grazing. Also, after reading Geenhorn's thread, I started feeding a little bit of alfalfa pelits to them. Thanks again!!!

greenhorn · #18 12/27/09, 09:09 PM

Hey Curtis, hope yours get better! My sis is in Lawrence and said they got slammed with snow. We only have 2-4" here in Ohio, but one of the Angus dropped a calf this morning so any snow is concerning I guess!

Greenhorn

Curtis B · #19 12/27/09, 09:29 PM

Greenhorn, my SIL is in Lawence and they got 8" I hear. We didn't get that much, but the wind was so bad I had up to 62" drifts. One of my sheds filled up with snow three feet deep even though it was facing south. At one point I had the two calves (still with very loose stools), 3 sheep, 9 turkeys, 4 guineas, 3 geese, and 26 chickens in one 12' x 12' section of a shed. It was quite an adventure, that I don't care too much to relive. I feel pretty luck that everything worked out.

Madsaw · #20 12/27/09, 10:42 PM

Glad to hear they are doing better. Might want to get some Sustain 3 bolus from your vet and give them along with the draxxin. This will work good fro the pneumonia and any other sneaky little bug they pick up causeing the scours since they are sick. Alot of times calves pick up one bug only to get run down just a touch to pick up a second one that really gets to them. You seen this in your calves, going from teh scours to pneumonia. I have seen this enough in the ones I have rasied over the yrs. I just go right to the full treatment and knock down all the bugs in one shot.
Bob
PS
Just thought of this. If you do get the boluses, say you think they need 3 each due to what you think they weight. Just go with 4 just incase they weight just a tad more then expect. Never hurts to give them just a bit to much then not enough and drag out the recovery period.