CALF DOWN! HELP! - Update: T-Bone's doing GREAT! THANK YOU!!

[Snowhunter]

I'm so sorry El

Keepin my fingers crossed for TBone

 

[Beekissed]

I had a very young~maybe a day or two old~ jersey calf bought at the sale with the same symptoms. I had a jersey cow, freshened, at the time and intended on placing extra calves on her. This particular calf couldn't stand for long, wouldn't suckle and had scours.

I gave half a tab of Lomotil~Immodium would be just as good~and syringed a mix of rich Jersey milk, buttermilk, unpastuerized ACV and raw honey down him a couple of times the first day. By the second day he was standing and moving around a little. By the third he was nursing off my cow and fighting for his rights along with the bigger and stronger calves.

Do your Amish friends have any good unpastuerized milk they could sell you? I know milk replacer is supposed to be just as good but you'll never convince me of that.

Good luck with T-Bone!

 

[redtailgal]

...........

 

[elevan]

T-Bone is losing the battle. His belly is sloshy and he is completely listless with no response to stimulation this morning. There's no longer "light" in his eyes.

This one was my Mom's calf, so she needs to decide if she'll be loading him into the truck to head for the vet or if she'll just put him down. I don't think there's hope so I've advised her that I think she should just put him down.

This has been such a stressful week for me. First I lose my grandfather suddenly and then Brisket goes down and dies and now T-Bone

 

[redtailgal]

............

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Unfortunately I don't know that calling the sale barn will do any good.

And don't rule out bottle animals all-together. Next time just find a dairy farm and tell them you want to buy bull calves from them, and ask how much they charge for a bull calf that has been fed colostrum. All the dairies I've worked at DO feed colostrum to all calves, even the bull calves that get sent to auction. Not all do though, but if you're paying the farmer directly (and paying more than $10) they should be very willing to sell you a few calves.

ETA: Where did I get the $10 figure from? Somewhere I read someone bought calves for $10, was that you?

 

[ksalvagno]

The sale barns in Ohio are not going to care. Especially if you paid a small amount of money.

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you and you are going through this.

 

[elevan]

Unfortunately I don't know that calling the sale barn will do any good.

And don't rule out bottle animals all-together. Next time just find a dairy farm and tell them you want to buy bull calves from them, and ask how much they charge for a bull calf that has been fed colostrum. All the dairies I've worked at DO feed colostrum to all calves, even the bull calves that get sent to auction. Not all do though, but if you're paying the farmer directly (and paying more than $10) they should be very willing to sell you a few calves.

ETA: Where did I get the $10 figure from? Somewhere I read someone bought calves for $10, was that you?

We paid $70 total for the 2 calves. Brisket was $20 and T-Bone was $50.

While we purchased at a "sale barn" it wasn't an auction they were having a "swap meet" and we paid the asking price for the animals not a bid.

eta: they seemed to be in very good condition until we suffered a cold snap here in Ohio and then they were down (they were in a pen in the barn at the time too but we had a 30-40* drop in outside temps). So that was an added stress that they didn't need.

 

[elevan]

My Mom went to the vet's office...she thinks T-Bone can still be saved...
I'm not holding out any help though. I will keep everyone updated.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Unfortunately I don't know that calling the sale barn will do any good.

And don't rule out bottle animals all-together. Next time just find a dairy farm and tell them you want to buy bull calves from them, and ask how much they charge for a bull calf that has been fed colostrum. All the dairies I've worked at DO feed colostrum to all calves, even the bull calves that get sent to auction. Not all do though, but if you're paying the farmer directly (and paying more than $10) they should be very willing to sell you a few calves.

ETA: Where did I get the $10 figure from? Somewhere I read someone bought calves for $10, was that you?

We paid $70 total for the 2 calves. Brisket was $20 and T-Bone was $50.

While we purchased at a "sale barn" it wasn't an auction they were having a "swap meet" and we paid the asking price for the animals not a bid.

eta: they seemed to be in very good condition until we suffered a cold snap here in Ohio and then they were down (they were in a pen in the barn at the time too but we had a 30-40* drop in outside temps). So that was an added stress that they didn't need.

Oh I see. I'm not sure where I got the $10 figure then. My brain could have made it up. They still could have picked something up from the sale barn, because who knows what goes through those places!

I'm crossing my fingers that your mom gets good help and good news from the vet today!