Is all calf poop created equal?

countryfied2011 · #1 08/28/11, 05:07 AM

I have a 5 week old Jersey heifer and a 4 week old Jersey bull/steer. I bought the bull at 2 days old and the heifer was a week old. Had no problem starting them on the bucket with nipple the first day. The steer started with the scours got that cleared up with in about a week, then the heifer started, the steer has stayed good and firm but the heifer's just doesn't seem to firm up. Hence my question, do some just have looser stools than others. I wouldnt consider her stools watery...I guess the best way to describe would be that the steer makes a plop and the heifer makes a splat. You can see stiffer sections in hers but it just seems to be loose especially compared to the steer. I remember when MIL use to have cows out in the pasture and their piles would sometimes be loose but then others would be firmer.

Things I have done with her the past month, 5 days of Sav a Calf. Used Kaopectate, probios and electrolytes and one dose of Bio-Sponge(30cc) Starter Calf feed with antibiotics. She is currently not on anything at least for the past week or week and half. Calf Starter now is 18%, non-medicated, MR has always been non medicated 20/20 all milk product, been on the same MR since I got her. Gets 2qts at 9am and 2 qts at 9 pm. They are both on a pretty regular schedule with eating...Taking her temp a couple of times and it was normal.

Lowered her bucket so that the nipple was level between her shoulder blade, thinking she was drinking to fast. Nothing changed, so went to a bottle that seemed to thicken up somewhat but still a splat. Poop is green but a light green to mid green, steer's is dark green.

She is very active, eats grain good, eats hay good(good clean dry grass hay) for a 5 week calf, and drinks water good. Bright eyed and loves to play with my 8 month old GP. Both are always eager for their bottles. The only fresh grass that either one of them has had was a blade or two at the end of the barn door near the gate. They share my mare and foal stall which is ventilated good and I keep the stall cleaned daily. They have loose minerals in their feed pan not alot but a little sprinkled on top. I give them fresh feed at both feedings....a half a scoop. Occasionally she will have a littler clearing of her throat after drinking but it goes away. I dont consider it a cough because my other animals do it at times and she only does it on occasion...so i dont believe she has pneumonia.

So am I missing something or worrying to much? Or is she just going to have a splat and that is normal? TIA

francismilker · #2 08/28/11, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by countryfied2011

I have a 5 week old Jersey heifer and a 4 week old Jersey bull/steer. I bought the bull at 2 days old and the heifer was a week old. Had no problem starting them on the bucket with nipple the first day. The steer started with the scours got that cleared up with in about a week, then the heifer started, the steer has stayed good and firm but the heifer's just doesn't seem to firm up. Hence my question, do some just have looser stools than others. I wouldnt consider her stools watery...I guess the best way to describe would be that the steer makes a plop and the heifer makes a splat. You can see stiffer sections in hers but it just seems to be loose especially compared to the steer. I remember when MIL use to have cows out in the pasture and their piles would sometimes be loose but then others would be firmer.

Things I have done with her the past month, 5 days of Sav a Calf. Used Kaopectate, probios and electrolytes and one dose of Bio-Sponge(30cc) Starter Calf feed with antibiotics. She is currently not on anything at least for the past week or week and half. Calf Starter now is 18%, non-medicated, MR has always been non medicated 20/20 all milk product, been on the same MR since I got her. Gets 2qts at 9am and 2 qts at 9 pm. They are both on a pretty regular schedule with eating...Taking her temp a couple of times and it was normal.

Lowered her bucket so that the nipple was level between her shoulder blade, thinking she was drinking to fast. Nothing changed, so went to a bottle that seemed to thicken up somewhat but still a splat. Poop is green but a light green to mid green, steer's is dark green.

She is very active, eats grain good, eats hay good(good clean dry grass hay) for a 5 week calf, and drinks water good. Bright eyed and loves to play with my 8 month old GP. Both are always eager for their bottles. The only fresh grass that either one of them has had was a blade or two at the end of the barn door near the gate. They share my mare and foal stall which is ventilated good and I keep the stall cleaned daily. They have loose minerals in their feed pan not alot but a little sprinkled on top. I give them fresh feed at both feedings....a half a scoop. Occasionally she will have a littler clearing of her throat after drinking but it goes away. I dont consider it a cough because my other animals do it at times and she only does it on occasion...so i dont believe she has pneumonia.

So am I missing something or worrying to much? Or is she just going to have a splat and that is normal? TIA

I've raised a calf or two, or three.............. And it appears to me that you have no need to worry at all. Provided she's drinking water good and not blowing brownish colored water poop halfway across the barn it seems by your description she's doing great.

lonelyfarmgirl · #3 08/28/11, 02:32 PM

OH NO! All calf poop is NOT created equal!
Ol' Max says day old is the best tasting calf poop out there. He'll settle for week old (mmmm, butterscotch), but man oh man, it's that black tarry day old stuff thats worth dragging his old bones out to the field for. Now month old, not worth much more than a good sniff.