# Calf with cough+slightly bloody scours and possibly stunted calf



## North40Farm (Sep 30, 2021)

Babybel-
She's almost 2 months old (born mid-August) and on a nurse cow, has not been as lively the last couple of days but still nursing. Doesn't have a lot interest in hay or grain but usually eats some in the evening.
The weather is changing but the cough started before it started getting colder, this morning was the first time I noticed the yellowish scours and blood. Is it most likely coccidia? How best to treat?
Juice-
Was born in April and mom abandoned her, she got one dose of powdered colostrum, struggled with getting sick every time it rained and had a neverending cough, green scours that also never stopped despite antibiotics, and was always thin no matter what. I brought her home and weaned her and after the first week the scours went away and she hasn't been coughing, but she's very short and potbellied compared to Babybel. Not sure if that's due to being stunted or if she's growing differently because she is full Angus. Also we have well water and no softener so all of the livestock are pretty copper deficient, but I got rv filters which will hopefully help. Tips on how to improve body condition and growth rate are welcome. They have access to minerals, beardless wheat hay, and get a mixture of alfalfa pellets and all stock pellets twice daily.
MooBelle-5 year old Holstein, she seems pretty healthy but I worry about her body condition. Does she look ok or does she need more feed or supplements?


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## farmerjan (Oct 1, 2021)

Okay,   my opinion only.   Cow looks like a typical holstein.  Ribs are not showing.  If she has hay free choice then she is able to eat more if she wants it.  They do not have the  "roundness" of a beef animal.... I see nothing wrong with her condition.  If you feel she is thin, up her grain a bit... or just add some more rolled corn or even cracked corn to her feed.... 
The manure does look like typical coccidiosis.  Use Corid.... now this is NOT what the back of the container says... but this is on my vet's advice for coccidiosis in mine.... use  1 cc per 100 lbs,  straight out of the bottle corid, down their throat daily for 5 days rather than try to do the dilution.  I used to put it in the milk replacer but for a calf on a cow that doesn't work.  It is not that hard to just slip the syringe into their mouth, back as far as you can get it, so they swallow it.  The first dose I try to get in them is 2-3 cc... then 1-2 cc a day, according to weight,  for the next 4-5 days....I don't think there is a "corid pill"....  If she is coughing, it may be that she has a respiratory problem... I would use something for resp... if you have any drugs at home... read the labels.... I would go with something like nuflor or baytril if you have any, vet prescribed... or maybe LA300... I can't remember if it is effective on respiratory..... but I think so.  That is over the counter.  LA200 or 300 .  I know we use tetracycline crumbles on feed for the feeder calves in the barn if we get snotty noses, coughing and such..... 

For the calf with the pot belly/growth problems.  She needs more grain as she has probably got what we call a hay belly... Get a GOOD calf feed.... starter/grower feed.  14-16% protein... feed at a rate of at least 1-4% of body weight.  A 100 lb calf should be eating 1-4 lbs feed a day.....She got a rough start you said, she is not getting the nutrition she needs.  Feeding calves is EXPENSIVE..... and short changing them young is a recipe for a poor doer in the future. Not having a momma does hurt them.   I would also worm her.... calves with "bad starts" seem to be more susceptible to picking up worm eggs too... It won't hurt her.  

You might also see if you can get a shot of Multi-Min... it is a vit/min supplement that you have to get from a vet.... it seems to really help the ones that are "challenged" like that... get their systems up and going. Multi-min is expensive but one shot usually does the trick...

Sometimes one that gets a rough start like that just never "catches up"... but you need to get more "concentrates", meaning grain, into her.  And the one on the holstein could benefit from increased grain too.

  I have one now that the momma died, could not get her in without bringing in all 30+ head from the back field..... and she is stunted.  She is in now getting grain daily, but will probably not amount to much.  She looks better than she did... but she will not be kept.  When we get in the summer cattle, cows and calves off pastures, will see if she will match up with any others and get sold. 

We have a "creep gate"... it is wide enough and tall enough for a calf to go through but not the cow. It is the same height as a regular gate ...has vertical bars, no horizontal ones.   We use it out at one place so that I can train the calves to come in and eat a little grain... calms them down and gives them a little supplement.  I have the first calf heifers at this pasture and it helps to take a little pressure off these heifers to make enough milk and grow and breed back because the grass there is not the best and often there are too many at this pasture.  The calves can usually squeeze through until they are 3-400 lbs.... it is just a way for me to get them calmer and quieter and gets them introduced to feed and feeders,  and makes weaning a little easier too.  Different than your operation... but makes the feed more available to the calves if they are with the cows.  

Hope this helps a little.


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## North40Farm (Oct 2, 2021)

Thank you so much for your response! 
Going to start Corid for Babybel this afternoon, got some Banamine and Draxxin from the vet for her and they did also have Multimin for Juice but I accidentally gave it IM instead of sub-q-will it still do her any good?
Also working on setting up a calf pen where the babies can get plenty of grain without MooBelle or my goats stealing it all.


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## Mini Horses (Oct 2, 2021)

Let me know how you think you'll keep goats out.....      Hint...it's called a separate pasture!   They are amazing animals who challenge boundaries.  

There was a study in Europe to see how long it would take a goat to learn to unhook a box with grain.  8 min.  Then, 6 months later, introduce same goats and box..2 min!  They love their food. 😁


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## farmerjan (Oct 2, 2021)

Just about any drug can be given IM or SQ... it will do her as much good either way.  The IM or SQ is more for the tissue damage issue than anything.  There are a few that should only be given IM.... but Multimin either way will work.  
Have to agree with @Mini Horses ... you are not going to keep the goats out of the calves feed unless they are in a separate field and unable to get in completely.  Same as with sheep.... if a calf can fit through a creep gate so can a sheep or a goat.  And the sheep,  and ESPECIALLY the goats, will climb/stand on anything to get into feed.  You do not want the goats to be able to free choice creep feed either like you can do with calves.... they will overeat and bloat or kill themselves.  Calves USUALLY do not overeat if allowed to self feed at a creep feeder.  I don't self feed at the creep feeder because I like mine to see me and equate me with food.... great motivator to get them to come in....


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