heifer calf will not eat

[dogwoodfarms]

I'm at a complete lose and need advice quick. Easy birth got up within 20 minutes, Nursed the first time fine. Sometime during the 2nd day she latched onto a clump of fur under moms neck and never went back to the teat. She will not take a bottle, bucket or any kind of nipple. It's like she never learned to suck right and she chews. I have been tubing her everyday twice a day, shot of B12 and La200 every other day. I try each day with a nipple first and have tried to train her to drink but end up putting a tube in. She is 12 days now and is still strong head up and even running around at times but no signs of attempting to eat on her own. Mother nature should have kicked in by now and I am at a lose.. any help would be great or has anyone ran into this before.

 

[jhm47]

This happens occasionally. Best thing to do is to keep on trying to get her to suck or drink from a pail. They usually do learn, but it is very trying on one's patience. Good luck!

 

[she-earl]

The tubing could be causing throat irritation making her not eager to drink. I would skip a feeding and see if it "increases" her desire. Have you taken her temp? Sometimes, they may be dealing with something that is decreasing their appetite.

 

[california cowgirl]

Will she suck your finger but not a nipple? Maybe put some fake fur around that nipple. I wonder if that would work. HMMM I have had very stubborn calves before and I know the feeling. So she is with the cow still and not sucked at all? If she ends up being bottle or bucket baby make sure there is NO SOY additives or ALTERNATIVE proteins or PLANT based proteins in your milk replacer. Baby calves can not digest soy and it causes fermentation and colic and bloat and death from diarreah and malnutrition if the bloat does not kill them first. A very good web page I came across all about calves and feeding and everything is a site called www.calfnotes.com and on the left hand side the notes are numbered so you can bring up topics like feeding weaning or such or look at all the topics they are numbered. Over one hundred tips. Plus unless baby is sick the antibiotics kill the good bacteria in the gut and can cause the runs. Raw egg in milk replacer with plain yogurt several tables spoons as a probiotic and if she gets scours activated Charcoal about two or three tablespoons can take the bad icky bug out of her body. I learned from my disasterous experience with soy proteins in my milk replacer and now have learned all these new tricks. Also for bloat about 4 oz of mineral oil and 4 oz of castor oil break down gas and cause the gut to move cause bloat in little babies is deadly. I hope you find a tick soon I know tubing is no fun for sure and man you have a stubborn one or she is a bit off...not sure which. Good luck

 

[dogwoodfarms]

Thanks so much for the replies I've never posted on a board before but am at a total lose on this one. Tried letting her suck the finger in the beginning even sweetened with molasses and no good. She got a fly strike very early on that's why the LA200 after I cleaned her up. I have separated her from mom during the night and let her out first thing in morning. She goes straight to mom and starts sucking on the neck, even head butts it looking for milk. She sucks so hard you can hear her going at it but still will not take any other form of feeding. Temp is fine and poop is as it should be for a calf on milk replacer. She's not dehydrated and has good clean stream of urine. No sign of bloating or that anything else is physically wrong with her. At this point she is filling out but not as good as if she was on mom and I am lost. I've had stubborn ones before but always got them going by day two, this one shows no desire to learn. Keep the suggestions coming and I will keep trying. Thanks

 

[california cowgirl]

sometimes we have to get the cow in a squeeze chute and get the calf to actually get the tit in their mouth or squirt some milk in her mouth and see if she will not latch on. Try that one and if it works keep trying that one. I have never heard of this one...but hey you have animals and you see a lot of stuff. Good luck. Keep trying