# Bucket Calf Help...PLEASE!!



## Rebecca In Kansas (Jun 12, 2009)

Hello everyone.  MY family and I are having problems with a calf we recently got.  We got her, as well as 2 bull calves, from a guy that got them from a dairy.  They are Jerseys, and vary in age.  We did lose one of the bulls a couple of days after we brought them home.

The other bull is doing WONDERFUL!!  Hes active, and getting bigger everyday.

Its the little heifer (Paige) that I am frustrated with. 
She was a couple days old when we brought her home. When we got her, the condition she was in was appalling. She was shooting yellow water-like diarrhea, she eyes were dull, she couldnt stand more than a couple of minutes, you could count every knot in her backbone, as well as her ribs, her hip bones made sores where they were rubbing on her skinthe list goes on and on.
These obviously were not the shape we wanted these calves to be in when we purchased them but I felt like we could not just leave them there as they were not getting the care they needed. So, we brought them home with us. 

Weve had them for 2 weeks now.  Both have put on a good amount of weight. Paige looks much much better. Her diarrhea has cleared up, has had a round of antibiotics,  her coat is shinier and not as flaky and shes very interested in things and eats her entire bottle, 2 quarts, twice a day. 
HOWEVERthis is the part I am frustrated with.   We can not get her to stand on her own. We have to haul her up every morning/evening to eat. After shes up she walks around.  Shes slow, and still seems weak, but she will following you anywhere after youve fed her a bottle.  And, she does this little lurch like shes half heartedly trying to get up, up seems to give up. 
SO, do you think she will eventually get this on her own? Shes been though so much, I just wonder if I am just being impatient and she really just does not have the strength to get up on her own, or if we have just babied her too much and she just wont?

Weve even teased her with her bottle, giving her a little sip to see if when we take it, that will make her irritated enough to get up and get it. Nope. We still had to get her up. 

Alsoshe does seem to be very very stubborn. Weve had the halter on her twice, to see if small walks would help her build up her strength, and when we put the halter on her, she does this flop thing where she wont even lift up her headlike shes dying---LOL However, as soon as you take it off she suddenly comes back to life.  LOL  Weve given up on the halter, and just take her out on walks with out it. She bonds really well with who ever gives her bottles and will just follow right by you like a faithful dog.

Any suggestions on why she isnt standing on her own? Still weak? Spoiled? 

Thanks!
Rebecca


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## Farmer Kitty (Jun 12, 2009)

By what your describing she's that weak. It's a tribute to you that you didn't loose her too as she was right at death's door. I would offer her a good quality of calf grain (even if you intend to be a grass fed operation, you can remove it from her diet once she is doing well again).

How old is she? At 2 quarts twice a day for a jersey, I'm guessing she's not a newborn. There maybe a way to get more into her with the milk replacer too. I'll say more when I know her age.

The halter thing isn't so unexpected. Jerseys have a personality all their own so, don't make the mistake of comparing them with other breeds.


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## Kute Kitten (Jun 12, 2009)

I hope you can get her to stand .


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## Rebecca In Kansas (Jun 12, 2009)

We don't know her exact birth date, but she still had her umbilical cord when we got her.  I was guessing a couple of days.  We've had them for 2 weeks now. So she may be 2 1/2 weeks old.

Thank you for replying!! I have worried so much about these guys!

Rebecca


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## Rebecca In Kansas (Jun 12, 2009)

Correction: She's drinking 2 PINTS (not 2 quarts) twice a day....need more coffee this morning!! 

Rebecca


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## Farmer Kitty (Jun 12, 2009)

If it's possible with your schedule, you could add a third feeding. I would try 1 1/2 quarts a feeding. If she looks like she's going to scour, cut it back to 1 quart. This will give her more to work with in her fight back to health and help keep the levels of energy and nutrients at a more steady flow. 

Giving her a shot of selenium wouldn't hurt either as she could have white muscle disease. If you have a large animal vet in the area they should be able to give you enough for her shot so that you don't have to buy a bottle of it.


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## Rebecca In Kansas (Jun 12, 2009)

We would be able to add a 3rd feeding. I was just worried about overloading her.  

We've started her on calf creep feed. She's played with it a bit, but not really eaten a good amount.

So you think we should do 1.5 pints 3 times a day, unless she shows signs of scours again and then back it off to 1 3 times a day? 

I'll call the vet later, btw! Thanks of all your help!

Rebecca


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## Farmer Kitty (Jun 12, 2009)

Your already giving her 4 quarts a day. By going 1 1/2 quart feeding 3x/day your only adding 1/2 quart but, spreading it out. Just make sure you are using the amount of the milk replacer it advises for small breeds. So, yes, I think you can go ahead with 3 times a day. We feed twice a day here but, there are many that do 3 times a day on a regular basis without any problems. 

You're welcome and don't hesitate to ask questions--there are no dumb ones.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jun 12, 2009)

I just went back and reread the thread and saw your correction on the amount she's getting a feeding. 

A jersey calf should get 1 1/2 quarts a feeding from birth and increase as the calf gets older. I still think I would go with the feeding advice I have already given.


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## Rebecca In Kansas (Jun 15, 2009)

Hey everyone. I just wanted to update you all.  We lost our calf today. 

I had called our vet and talked to him for awhile and he had sent an injection of antidodics, thinking that would get her going.  The next day, she got worse, then perked up toward evening, yesterday she was doing well, bright eyed and eating. This morning we went out to feed and she had just given up. She was limp and mooed that horrible moo they do when they are just done.     She died not too long after.

We all seem to agree that she had something wrong with her. We know nothing about her history, except that when we got it her was obvious she wasn't taken care of, regardless, so we don't know if her birth was really hard or what. She was always "diffrent" from the other calves, and never really "clicked" it seems in the head. I wonder if she had some sort of brain damage. 

To make this worse, this is my familys first calves. We had cows while I was growing up,but these are my first ones since growing up and having my own family.  It's alot diffrent when it's your money and your decisions make this work.  LOL  

I know these calves didn't have the best start, and this just sometimes happens when you have any animals, but it's just a sad day for us. 

We are not giving up though!!   

Thank you to everyone for all thier advice!

Rebecca


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## Rebecca In Kansas (Jun 15, 2009)

errr...that was suppose to say antibiotics! LOL


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## Farmer Kitty (Jun 15, 2009)

Sorry to hear you lost her. 

She was in rough shape when you got her and you did your best to help her. She may not have gotten colostrum when she was born either. Then the battle is almost impossible. 

I hope this hasn't put you off having some cattle around.


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## Thewife (Jun 15, 2009)

Sorry you lost your calf.


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## KareyABohr (Jun 15, 2009)

I am so sorry for your loss!
Although it breaks my heart, I have found that leaving the calves that are obviously sick alone is the best thing for my farm.
Jersey bucket calves are more difficult than anyothers I have found to raise, second only by holstein calves.

Get a few beef bucket calves next time they are hardier and tougher. Once you learn on a more forgiving breed, then go to the more difficult dairy breeds.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jun 15, 2009)

KareyABohr said:
			
		

> I am so sorry for your loss!
> Although it breaks my heart, I have found that leaving the calves that are obviously sick alone is the best thing for my farm.
> Jersey bucket calves are more difficult than anyothers I have found to raise, second only by holstein calves.
> 
> Get a few beef bucket calves next time they are hardier and tougher. Once you learn on a more forgiving breed, then go to the more difficult dairy breeds.


Clarify what you call a bucket calf, please. If those calves had been here they would have been on buckets. Mine go on the pail at their 3rd or 4th feeding ideally.

Holstein heifer calves are easy to raise. I do it all the time.  Jerseys can be more touchy but, some of that is some forget they are a small breed and feed them as if they were a large breed. That equals scours.


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## KareyABohr (Jun 15, 2009)

"Clarify what you call a bucket calf, please. If those calves had been here they would have been on buckets. Mine go on the pail at their 3rd or 4th feeding ideally.
Holstein heifer calves are easy to raise. I do it all the time.  Jerseys can be more touchy but, some of that is some forget they are a small breed and feed them as if they were a large breed. That equals scours."



I call a "bummer calf" or an "orphan calf", or a 'veal calf' a (bucket calf.)
I am from Iowa and I any calf that needs supplemental milk feeding that comes from a source other than another cow, a "bucket calf".
I think it is mostly regional what you call an orphan.

Here at the sale barns they call calves that need milk and are NOT on grain, "bucket calves" even though around here most of us feed off of 1/2 quart bottles.

I think it is an Iowa thing, because my GF in Missouri calls her "bucket calves" (bummer calves) and my friend in Montana calls them (Bottle calves).

Karey


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## Farmer Kitty (Jun 16, 2009)

KareyABohr said:
			
		

> "Clarify what you call a bucket calf, please. If those calves had been here they would have been on buckets. Mine go on the pail at their 3rd or 4th feeding ideally.
> Holstein heifer calves are easy to raise. I do it all the time.  Jerseys can be more touchy but, some of that is some forget they are a small breed and feed them as if they were a large breed. That equals scours."
> 
> 
> ...


And here it's common practice to raise a dairy calf by hand or bucket.


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## KareyABohr (Aug 17, 2009)

That is how my DH was able to buy his first farm, raising dairy bulls and heifers with a bull twin. But now we are mainly beef farmers and we only get about 9 or 10 per year that are orphaned or twins that I care for.

I figure if you have 3 you might as well have 10 because it is just as much work mixing 3 bottles as 10 bottles. And with ten you can recoup the cost of time and milk replacer and medicine. IMO


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## rittert3 (Nov 18, 2009)

I didn't think "free martins" were that common (heifers with a bull twin) I work at two sale barns and i've been watching and watching for a heifer holstein baby but they are all bulls and we have almost 20 hols babys a week come in. oh ya we call them baby calves or bucket calves here in kansas.


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## KareyABohr (Nov 18, 2009)

Make sure that you give her the "Rod" test before you buy her. 99% of the time no dairyman will sell a bucket holstein heifer. They are worth WAYYY too much. If you do see a heifer i'd bet you lunch when you "rod" her the rod goes about 3-4 inches into her vulva and stops. That means she is a free-martin and thus worthless as a breeder. She is also worth much less than a steer because she won't get beefy. (Not that holstein steers get that beefy anyway.)


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## aggieterpkatie (Nov 19, 2009)

She may not have had colostrum after she was born.  We always fed our Jersey calves colostrum for at least 2 feedings, then they went to 2 qts of milk twice a day.  If they have scours (diarrhea) make sure they get some kind of electrolytes and NO MILK.  ReSorb is a good electrolyte mix for calves. Also, make sure your calves navels are dipped in iodine just after they're born.  

Sorry you lost your calf.    If you get more, make sure you talk to the farmer to find out what his protocol is for calving. Make sure they get colostrum, and make sure they get their navels dipped.  Any farmer who won't do those simple things is one to stay far away from.


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