# 2 week old bottle calf



## Mpwelch50 (Aug 13, 2020)

My daughter brought a bottle calf to the farm yesterday. I think it's an auction calf because it has glue marks on it's back. The man told her he had just taken it off it's mom and that it was a week and a half old. He said he was feeding it a quart  of replacer twice a day. That seemed like a small amount for a young calf. It's been 40 years since I had bottle calves and we raised them on goat/jersey milk from our dairy. So I'm not as up to date on the replacer theory. The first day it ate well at lunch but then refused dinner. It ate a cup of milk later in the evening. It has a full set of incisors and firm albeit stinky poop. It mouths grain and chews grass out in the paddock. I haven't seen it drink any water. It seems super thin but all bottle calves seem thin if I remember correctly. This morning it ate a whole quart for breakfast but then has refused milk for the rest of the day. It is active, good membranes, pees and poops. Seems a little weak in the rear. Doesn't cough or have a runny nose. Just doesn't want to eat more than once a day. And she doesn't eat with gusto. Just lackluster sucking until it's gone. Not the tail wagging, butting behaviors I remember. We have no idea if she had any colostrum or vaccines. I believe the guy bought her at the auction, bumped up the price and sold her. He probably had no idea of her age or health. Any thoughts on the best course, if any, that we should take? We have a call into the vet but he is out on calls and not likely to be here unless it's an out and out emergency. We have given her jumpstart gel, she flat out refuses electrolytes, and as of now, she's had a half a gallon of milk in the last 48 hours. Thanks, Michelle


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## B&B Happy goats (Aug 13, 2020)

@farmerjan , she will give you the information


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 13, 2020)

We bought calves from auction..had issues with the first, lost him...then we found out from the vet, to give them a shot of LA 200 when you first bring them home...It knocks out anything they might’ve picked up at auction, etc.  our one calve didn’t have a good suckle...he was very big....I did everything to stimulate the suckling...but we read that when they are born big the tongu can be swollen and they need tube fed....so we did that for about three feedings?  Then, it kicked in.  Now, he’s still a bit slower at the suckle than the other two, but he’s still heathy and growing.  We installed bottle holders to the wall, the6 feed from them..,makes it much easier for us.  These are our first calves...so obviously I don’t know much..but these experiences have worked for us, sadly after losing one.  As for the electrolytes...we put ours right in the milk, I think?  Guys didn’t even it was there?  As for not wantin* to eat much..we did hav3 that issue w the first calf that we lost...and the second one that we we tube fed...once we tube fed him and got him passed the point where his belly was, I guess, used to having a nice full feeling??  He was ready to eat twice...now they see us coming..and the6 are excited!🤣❤🐮🐮🐮. Good luck..I’m sure @farmerjan will be on here very soon and tell you 3verything you need to know.

in the last picture...my son Ben is holding Pete, and what you can’t see...Pete is tinkling on Ben the whole time!🤣❤🐮


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## Mpwelch50 (Aug 13, 2020)

They are so cute! That’s the breeds I wish I had!!! How much LA 200 do you give them? I can’t find a dosage for new calves.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 13, 2020)

Mpwelch50 said:


> They are so cute! That’s the breeds I wish I had!!! How much LA 200 do you give them? I can’t find a dosage for new calves.


I think it’s 2 cc.....


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## farmerjan (Aug 13, 2020)

Hi, I am just now able to get on the internet and have no idea how long it will last.  So will try to answer your questions. 
I think from the description that you thinking that the calf was bought from the sale barn, then foisted off on you is probably right.  It is probably older than he said.... if it is eating grain  chewing on grass.... but then it may have been starved and some will go to eating hay/grass or whatever just to get something in their stomach. 
Another reason to NOT buy at the auctions/sale barns.... if it has glue like from a tag, then he is lying and it was not just taken off it's mother unless it is a beef calf that they split off the cow because she has a problem.   If that is  not the case, this guy saw your daughter and suspected he had a "patsy" to make a quick buck off.  No offense to your daughter... I have been around the stock yards for over 40 years and can tell you alot of what goes on.....  
A qt of milk twice a day is NOT enough.  Your instincts and memory are right.  A calf should get 1/2 gallon (2 qts) twice a day.... according to the breed and size.  If the calf was not getting fed well, it might very well refuse to eat as it should.  I would try a vit b-12 shot... or a B-complex shot which will help to stimulate it's appetite a bit.  Since you don't know anything about it a shot of LA200 or LA300 wouldn't hurt it.  All according to size 2-3 cc would be good.   I would also try to get some more probios type gel in it to get it's gut tract working.  The thing is, if it is eating more solid food, too much milk will mess it up.... so if you can get a qt a feeding down it, and get it to eat grain.... you will probably be okay.  Once the rumen starts to develop a bit, the "true stomach" that absorbs and digests the milk will shrink.  If it will eat grain, you might try mixing a little milk replacer powder on the grain for added nutrition. 

At the very least, give it a "blackleg shot"  since you have no idea of it's history.  That's like a 7-way clostridial.... cheap insurance against any problems from that edge.   It probably wouldn't hurt to give the calf a "complete vaccine";  but I honestly would wait a few weeks to allow it's system to get settled in.  And -  this is my personal preference -  but I only use killed virus vaccines.  We use Triangle 10 HB.... all killed virus and we don't have reactions.... Can't accidentally abort a pregnant cow with it either.  Most vets push MLV (modified live vaccines) .... I just don't like them.

One other thing. when you feed the calf a bottle, and yes it should have some enthusiasm tail wagging and butting the bottle.... MAKE SURE that you hold the bottle low enough that the calf HAS TO  bend it's neck in a bit of a U shape to reach up for the bottle to suck.  If the bottle is too high, so that it is a straight angle directly down the calf's throat, the milk will sometimes go into the lungs and not into the stomach.  If you look at them in nature, the calf reaches under and up to the udder in most cases.  This angle naturally closes off the windpipe and the swallowing of the calf sucking will direct the milk into the stomach.  You can get milk into the lungs and actually "drown them".  It also happens when someone doesn't get the tube into the right place when tube feeding a calf.  
When a calf drinks from the mother, there is no "air" going into the udder to offset the milk like with a bottle.  So they can only drink so fast and there is next to no chance of a calf ever getting milk into the windpipe from sucking a cow.  But with a bottle, people often make the hole bigger, to get them to drink it faster, they don't have to work so hard at it, and then they get into trouble.  It will "run" into the calf faster than it can swallow....

What type of calf (breed) is it?  Dairy or beef?  A dairy calf will naturally be thinner and look "scrawnier"  while young and especially if it didn't get a decent start.  
If your vet gives you different advice then you need to follow it as they are there.  But this is what I would recommend  with not seeing the calf.


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## Mpwelch50 (Aug 15, 2020)

She is an angus calf. Not knowing her age makes it the hard part. Her scouts have cleared up but now she just won’t eat with any regularity. One day she eats twice. The next day once. And today, nothing. It’s very frustrating. No fever. No snot. Walks, pees and poops. But no appreciable feed, hay or water missing. It’s so frustrating.


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## Mpwelch50 (Aug 15, 2020)

Scours have cleared up. Stupid spell check. LOL


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 15, 2020)

I agree about the vit B...we did that too. I just forgot.  You might want to tube her..to get the tummy working....that’s what we had to do with our Swiss...now he is doing great.  It was tough and very scarey!!  But...we managed....good lyck🙏❤️🐮


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## farmerjan (Aug 16, 2020)

I have 2 trains of thought, knowing that it is an angus calf.  She is older than you think, she was split off her mother or the cow died, and she is so accustomed to drinking from a cow that she may never take a bottle well.  Or she was split off the cow and there is something wrong with her insides, it happens, and eating makes her feel bad and nothing you can do will help. 
So let's go with the first scenario and probably the more likely.  We have had calves come off a cow that it takes a week and once took nearly 2 weeks for it to figure out that the bottle was a good thing. The bottle has a different feel, texture, temp, the milk replacer tastes different, and the speed that they drink is different since with the udder air does not replace the milk like it does with the bottle.  So, just persist with the bottle feeding and she may have one of those "oh boy, this is pretty good stuff"  when her tummy is hungry.  Try for the qt a feeding .  If she wants more than that means she is adjusting to it.  Keep some feed in front of her, not alot so it doesn't get old or damp or moldy.... which happens easy in hot muggy weather.  Keep a small amount of hay so maybe you can see if she is eating it.  As long as she is peeing, but more importantly doing manure, she is getting some nutrition from somewhere/something. 

Do not tube her at this point.  In other words, do not use an esophageal feeding tube to put milk down her throat into her stomach.  If she is older than you think that will mess her up.  It is different for a week old bottle calf.  They can handle the milk.  If yours has not been getting much milk you could really mess up the balance of gut bacteria and such.  As long as she is showing signs of eating by doing manure, just keep plugging along with trying the milk in the bottle.  Make sure the temp is warm enough but not such that it can burn her mouth.  After being on cow, calves are more sensitive (picky) about the milk temp.  
Give her some time, try the vit-B shot and you can give it daily for a week;  a calf won't get much because if I remember we gave a 1000 lb cow 10 cc a day for a week that had gone completely off feed..... and get her vaccinated with blackleg so she doesn't have any problems with clostridial diseases.  
Is she in with any other calves?  She also may be suffering from separation.... cattle are herd animals and will do better with a buddy.  Do you have any other bottle calves that she can be with???? She might also get curious if you are bottle feeding another calf, and that is good if they all of a sudden decide they want what the other one has.... or if there is one that is eating grain that she can bond with to go try what that calf is getting.
I am trying to pull any possibility out of a hat that I can think of.  Patience is one thing that you really need right now until she will decides that she wants to live and eat.... even if it is not what she was used to.


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## farmerjan (Aug 16, 2020)

Also, most electrolytes do not mix well with the milk.  The packages will say NOT to mix in the milk.  If you do feed any follow the directions.  The formulas do  not mix well with the replacer and can actually give them a more upset stomach.  When I have fed electrolytes, I will cut the milk feeding in half, then feed the electrolytes about 4-5 hours later, then milk again another 4-5 hours later.  They will get the best absorption and utilization from them milk and electrolytes being spread out.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Aug 17, 2020)

I definitely agree about the buddy....when we first bought two calves, then lost one to pneumonia...the second was very sad.  We knew we had to act quick to get more for him.  Now the calf was in with the goats..,but the goats though5 he was some freak of nature!   So, we moved fast and went right out and bough5 two more.  This will sound awful..bu5 we bough5 two..just in case?  After losing one..we were terrified.  So we bough5 the biggest one there...he was alread6 eating grain and hay when we got him.  We also got the cutest one..we’re suckers for cute..,❤️  And, the vet had prepared us for the meds we’d need to give right away.  But, when we brought the new guys home, it gave our poor calf a new spark again!  He got so excited to see more guys just like him!  So, maybe @farmerjan ...we’ll, no, of course she is !


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