5 day old calf not eating, not active... Cause for concern?

[redtailgal]

Was he standing oddly or is he really that knock knee'd?

If his front legs are really like that, he needs a shot or two of BoSe........you'll have to ask a vet for it.

 

[BigMac]

Go back to the facebook page and you can now see a video of him. See if that gives you enough information. What is BoSe? and what's wrong with his legs?

 

[BigMac]

I went back to the series of photos I took that one from, and it looks like he was taking a step in the photo that makes his knees look much closer together than usual.

 

[redtailgal]

OK I see. I was a little worried for ya there for a minute. He looked fine in the video. Pretty much like a healthy little guy with a mild case of scours. Ears are up, belly is good, plenty of strength and very little grace (lol, love the "lay down" on the slick floor, that was cute )

Sometimes when a calf is born the legs are not straight. Sometimes its just weakness, sometimes they have just been stuck in a strange position in the womb, and sometimes there is a deficiency that can be straightened out with a shot of BoSe. It's used for bent legs and for lethargic babies. Its a combo shot of selenium and vitamin e. Many places have soil deficient in selenium, so some folks just go ahead and give it to newborns at birth. It wont hurt them even if they dont need it, but I tend to wait until I see something that does need it, and after seeing the video, I dont think your calf needs it.

If his appetite doesnt improve in the next 24 hours, I would consider a vit b12 to give his appetite a little boost.

He looks pretty good, so dont worry so much. Just follow the scours protocol I gave you (dont forget about the coccidia) and he should be fine.

 

[redtailgal]

oh and I meant to tell you that you should start getting him used to a halter and lead rope as soon as he will drink for you. Just put the halter and lead on him and lead him to his milk each time. He'll fight you the first few times, but dont give in. Make him walk to his milk on the lead rope each time and in a couple days, he will be leading like a champ. Doing this now will make your life MUCH MUCH easier in a few months.

ALso, be very careful about what habits you let him develop. No head butting, no kicking, no rubbing his forehead on you........just a pop on the shoulders and a sharp "NO" each time he does it. When he does something cute, ask yourself if it will be cute 900 pounds from now. Forehead rubbing from a 900 pound steer can be pretty painful and dangerous, even if the steer is just playing. Preventing this now will make you MUCH MUCH safer in a few months. Make him act like he weighs 900 pounds now, so that when he IS 900 pounds, he'll know no other way to act.

Dont be mean, but make him respect you, even if he is headed for freezercamp.

 

[BigMac]

Woke up before dawn this morning to find Baby Mac standing in his pen! Yay! Standing is good! While gone for work, wife reported that he was eagerly following my daughter around, drank a little water from his bucket and went to town on the salt lick. He apparently was also munching some dirt. (Mineral deficiency?) He still would not suck, so he got electrolytes by tube. But he is acting far more alert and active.

 

[redtailgal]

Try his bottle every time, and rub a little pancake syrup on the nipple next time.

He really needs to get off that tube.

This may sound harsh, but now that he is doing well.....offer him the bottle tonight and if he doesnt take it, dont tube him. Let him get good and hungry and reoffer it in the morning. He's drinking from the bucket, so it wont hurt him.

Time for some tough love.

 

[BigMac]

Ouch! Tough love indeed!

 

[daisychick]

Since he drank out of the bucket with water, couldn't you just skip the bottle and go straight to milk in the bucket like Redtailgal suggested earlier. He may put up less fight about the bucket. I hate to see him still being tube fed if he is feeling better.

 

[BigMac]

And of course... maybe the simplest solution would be the right one! We'll offer the bucket first tonight and see if he takes to it. Redtail, do you think it's ok to offer him full milk replacer yet since he's acting better? Or should I keep him on the electrolyte program?