# Calf Trouble



## Patch (Jan 3, 2022)

I have a week old holstien calf that is refusing milk replacer but will drink water. He is very lethargic and lays down alot. When he poops he doesn't get up he just lays there. When I got him on saturday he took his night feeding and drank 2 quarts if milk replacer. He was being warmed by a heat lamp and had thick bedding down. He seemed fine on Saturday. I went out yesterday morning to give him his morning feeding of milk replacer he took some and spit it out then went to lay down under the heat lamp where he started shivering. We decided to warm him up in our house with bedding down in a temporary pen with heaters going and we put a blanket on him. I couldn't get him to eat again until 10pm last night when he ate 1.5 quarts of milk replacer. I went out again today to feed and he still is refusing milk replacer but will drink his water.


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## farmerjan (Jan 3, 2022)

Is the milk replacer the same brand as what he was on?  Some calves are very fussy to the taste.  Do not feed any soy based milk replacer.  It plays havoc with their digestive system and they will not do good on it.  
Put him on electrolytes so he gets some energy in him.  It is hard to say why he is refusing the milk replacer but I would assume it is mostly the taste thing. 
Is he scouring?  Or just not willing to get up?  It is very hard to "diagnose" a problem on the internet.  If he is loose/scoury then sometimes just something like giving him a stool "thickener"... like Immodium AD for people, will firm the manure up.  
I would give him electrolytes for 2 feedings and see if it gives him some energy to get up and going a little better....and then see if he will go back on replacer....


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## Patch (Jan 3, 2022)

farmerjan said:


> Is the milk replacer the same brand as what he was on?  Some calves are very fussy to the taste.  Do not feed any soy based milk replacer.  It plays havoc with their digestive system and they will not do good on it.
> Put him on electrolytes so he gets some energy in him.  It is hard to say why he is refusing the milk replacer but I would assume it is mostly the taste thing.
> Is he scouring?  Or just not willing to get up?  It is very hard to "diagnose" a problem on the internet.  If he is loose/scoury then sometimes just something like giving him a stool "thickener"... like Immodium AD for people, will firm the manure up.
> I would give him electrolytes for 2 feedings and see if it gives him some energy to get up and going a little better....and then see if he will go back on replacer....


Thank you i will try that.


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## CaliFarmsAR (Jan 8, 2022)

@Patch, how’s your calf doing?


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## Patch (Jan 9, 2022)

He is doing well. Once I got the electrolytes into him it was like he was a new calf. He is still in the house as the daytime temps are like 1 degree Fahrenheit where i am but overall definitely way better.


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## CaliFarmsAR (Jan 9, 2022)

Patch said:


> He is doing well. Once I got the electrolytes into him it was like he was a new calf. He is still in the house as the daytime temps are like 1 degree Fahrenheit where i am but overall definitely way better.


That’s good to hear! Wow, yeah, I’d definitely keep him warm inside with those temperatures!!


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