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One of the most problems associated with feeding baby calves is dealing with calf scours. In the past I followed the vet's advice on feeding elctrolytes and various scours medication with varying success. Their advice was too with hold milk replacer and this is when the trouble begins. Baby calves have very limited nutrient reserves and they are soon depleted when milk replace is with held. I found a natural product called RECOVER, that is an all natural nutritional supplent that can be added to the calves milk replacer. First I drench the calves with a healthy dose of RECOVER and I also add it to their milk as well. If needed, I will drench the calves for two or three days as needed. I have had excellent results with this product..I told my vet, but he said that it can't work. My healthy calves tell another story. I told my vet that not all solutions come from the lab!!! I have only found this product at www.innovatorsllc.net. Just my two cents worth.
You are right, it is a critical time for scouring calves. It is their mineral reserves that is most critical, along with dehydration. But dumping any amount of nutrition before the digestive tract has stabilized isn't going to help much. :nono:
I'll agree with your Vet on this one. The powder you are using is yeasts, coagulating bacterial cultures, dried fish meal and garlic. I tend to roll my eyes when a product employs the magical healing properties in garlic.:whistlin:

Stopping the diarrhea while maintaining electrolytes should be the focus. After that, feel free to employ any folk tale remedy you please, raw eggs, probiotics, yogurt, whatever. :lookout:

BTW, doesn't REMEDY come from a Lab? :shrug:
 
I totally agree with these comments, especially about stress associated with sale barn calves. I only bought at sales barns as a last resort. These calves are subjected to so much stress you are bound to have numerous health problems. The one thing that I do to combat stress and sickness is to drench them for several days with a product called Recover. This is an all natural nutritional supplement that you can also add to their milk replacer. I have saved many sale barn calves this way. I prefer to go arouns to my local dairies and talk with the owners. I started raising calves when I was a young kid. I went to one dairy and wanted to buy a Brown Swiss heifer calf. He stated that he raises his own heifers, but would give me a one time chance. The only stipulation was that he had first chance at buying it back. Well he so liked what I did that he asked me to raise as many as his heifers as I wanted. Some times you only have to ask, but then you have to prove yourself. Not sure about giving the website to find Recover, but it is the only place that you can buy it. www.innovatorsllc.net
 
Ok here is what I do

I buy everything other people do not buy and I also buy everything you would buy

I buy 15 to 30 at a time ....but this is my 6 year doing this

A sale barn calf and a home bught calf are two totally different animals treated the same way the sale barn will die with a sale barn calf you have hours not days as a farm raised calf you have


I put 5 calves in a pen thats 5 calfs that usually cost me and average of $150 if i raise 3 of the 5 I make lots of money if get lucky and raise 4 of 5 then i really make a lot of money on that pen....I also buy the highest calfs at the sale barn those sell for a average of $400 put them in pen of 5 if I raise all 5 then I really make money on that pen ...

my usual average on the price of calves is $260 a calf thats the price I have in the LIVE CAlFS thats like buying 10 for $250 thats $2500 if I lost 2 then the average is $312

the best time to buy calfs is from October to January during the holidays when nobody wants to feed calfs on Christmas day Thanksgiving or New Years day


I give a shot of 1 cc batamine and 2 cc of LA200 when I put them in my trailer..as most time they have a 6 hour trip before they get to my house

I feed colostrum the first meal home then i feed Milk Replacer for the first 3 days then go to my Jersey Milk gradually

What you have to learn is what you have when you unload form the trailer

who needs what Calfs are like kids they can not tell you only show you they feel bad....I set out there every day for a hour watching the calfs see who is the last to the milk bar if the calfs swap on being last they get a shot

never believe that they will get better believe they will die in the night as they will

the way the coat on a calf lays tells me a lot about whats going on with the calf

A calf that cleans n it own coat does not need anything one that does not will die very fast


A calf when it sucks holds it's head high will be sick soon

A calf that does not meet you at the gate will be sick soon

A calf will die before you can go buy and get back with what you need so have it on hand now.


just my 2 cents


I have 31 on milk right now next week will be down to 20 on milk and be buying more
tjm
 
Most auctions will not let you check up the animals up close I don't think. We can walk overhead and peer down at the animals but we cannot go up to them and inspect them whatsoever. You just gotta have good eyes and look from 50 feet away

And personally, I think to buy two means at least you have half a chance at having a calf still in 2 weeks. I am pessimistic though as I just had to bury two jersey calves I bought at the auction 10 days ago. I have bought 5 calves at the auction this year and only one lives. The stress is really hard on them.

Btw.. I lost all four to pnemonia. One in February.. One in October and two December. Keep them dry and out of drafts. Buy a fluid feeder that has a tube on it. It is sooo useful as not all calves want to eat when they need to. Heat lamp is a good tool.
Bottle of penicillin on hand doesn’t hurt either
 
I totally agree with these comments, especially about stress associated with sale barn calves. I only bought at sales barns as a last resort. These calves are subjected to so much stress you are bound to have numerous health problems. The one thing that I do to combat stress and sickness is to drench them for several days with a product called Recover. This is an all natural nutritional supplement that you can also add to their milk replacer. I have saved many sale barn calves this way. I prefer to go arouns to my local dairies and talk with the owners. I started raising calves when I was a young kid. I went to one dairy and wanted to buy a Brown Swiss heifer calf. He stated that he raises his own heifers, but would give me a one time chance. The only stipulation was that he had first chance at buying it back. Well he so liked what I did that he asked me to raise as many as his heifers as I wanted. Some times you only have to ask, but then you have to prove yourself. Not sure about giving the website to find Recover, but it is the only place that you can buy it. www.innovatorsllc.net
We used a product called bounce back for one of our calve that wasn't doing well. He is now (a few weeks later) doing a lot better. I have found that you can buy bounce back at most feed stores.
 
I wouldn't bring a calf home from a sale barn if they were giving them away free. A sale barn is a petri dish of disease. My dad used to go to the sale barn, and buy calves in the parking lot, before they were unloaded. The best way is to pick them up from the dairy, when they are less than twelve hours old.
 
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