7 month old calf that looks 3 or 4 months old

[purecountrycow]

I have a jersey/holstein calf thats been steered and he is just not growing. He eats grain and free choice hay and grass everyday. Has not lost his appitite. I have wormed him with Ivermectin pour on wormer twice. His legs are on the small size. He just doesnt seem to be growing. But he seems to be very healthy. I have another steer calf that is only 3 weeks older but hes growing fast and big. Hes probly twice the size of the younger calf. Could there be anything wrong with him?

Thanks

 

[redtailgal]

Did he scour bad when he was young? This could cause them to stunt.

YOU may want to contact your local ag extension and have them run a fecal, perhaps you have some resistant worms in his belly that just wont die from Ivermec.

And sometimes, I have seen Jerseys or Jersey crosses take a little extra time to mature.

 

[purecountrycow]

Not sure what you mean by scour. But I did forget to mention that when he was born, he wouldnt eat from a bottle, he didnt have that natural sucking on a bottle thing. The person I bought him from said she had to put a tube down his throat to feed him for the first 2 weeks then he started sucking on a bottle and never had another problem. So I thought he might have been born premature.

Thanks

 

[redtailgal]

Scouring is pretty a case of very nasty very loose bowel movements. Severe scour can stunt growth depending on what caused it.

Evenw ith excellent care bottle babies are smaller for awhile and take longer to mature, ESP those that have trouble in the beginning.

If you are confiident that there are no worms, then my suggestion is to keep him well fed and be patient.

 

[purecountrycow]

He did have Diarrhea for the first cpl weeks after I got him and so did the other calf but I think that was cuz we switched them over from cow milk to milk replacer. And I wont say that he doesnt have some resistant worms in his belly. But testing would only tell. Would you have another suggestion of a dewormer?

Thanks

 

[redtailgal]

Well, if you have used ivomec twice, I would defiantely go with a different wormer this time.

I miight consider Cydectin, but would probably give Valbazen, instead. Sometimes these wormers are a little different from box to box, so check your indinvidual box for doasages.

 

[4bLonghorns]

here's another viewpoint on your question. Sometimes, runts are born. I have one cow that has dropped two "dwarfs" for lack of a better word. They are always smaller than their pasture-mates, heads tend to be bigger and legs are shorter than normal. They grow slowly and never reach the weight or height of the others.

 

[zzGypsy]

He did have Diarrhea for the first cpl weeks after I got him and so did the other calf but I think that was cuz we switched them over from cow milk to milk replacer. And I wont say that he doesnt have some resistant worms in his belly. But testing would only tell. Would you have another suggestion of a dewormer?

Thanks

I'd have a fecal done first. ask your vet what's working locally, restance can be regional so your vet, or your local extension agent, should be able to give you a suggestion. once you know if you have worms, and what kind, that may dictate as well.