Just a couple more questions about new calf...

[Moody]

I'm lying. I will have more. But you all are so helpful.


Everything I read said to use all milk based milk replacer. Well, couldn't find that and when I did, it was medicated. I had already gotten the Unimilk so I stuck with it. I asked at the store for milk based milk replacer and was given the side eye. "Why do you want that instead of soy?"
A) internet says that is best
B) cows come from cows not soy plants.

Can't believe everything you read on the internet he says. So anyway, real question. They makes lots of medicated and soy based milk replacers. If the milk based ones are the best why are they so hard to find? Shouldn't that be ALL I can find? TSC has it but was out. Atwoods had a $100 bag but I didn't even check ingredients on that, too much $.

Also is it in any way harmful to give a pint or so of electrolytes in the first days just as a precaution? Her stools have gotten runnier but not scours, yet. Still mixing in half mr and half raw jersey milk from seller. Tomorrow will be 1/4 milk, 3/4 mr.

Also seller said to give 21 day prevention of corid in with bottle. So I put an ounce of that in her bottle once a day. I have seen this nowhere else but he swears it helps prevent bloody scours which he says dooms them to death. Anyone else ever do this?

She seems healthy so far but it has only been 3 days. She is bounding around a 8 x16 stall with fresh water and calf manna available. She has a small corner that is surrounded by coastal square bales for windbreak and is covered with plywood for cozy warmth during freezing nights right now.

 

[greybeard]

How much runnier?
Corid is to help with cocciodosis (bloody scours) --contains amprolium as active ingredient. Get some and follow the directions. I've never used it in milk replacer--just in older calves drinking water. It works. Yes, if the calf is already beginning to show even the slightest sign of scours, I wouldn't wait too long to get started--once it gets into the large intestine, it's hard to control.
I would also have on hand some Probios--the gel will work for a bottle calf--you apply it to the back of it's tongue. Read the directions--I have only used the powder, mixed with the starter feed on calves just weaned.
Medicated vs non-medicated milk replacer....You need to know what kind of medication is in the replacer and at what levels. Many less expensive medicated replacers have such low levels of medication, that they really aren't doing much--if anything at all. It's called non therapeutic levels.

Soy vs milk based.It's usually a trade off in initial cost of the replacer versus rate of gain. RoG is generally better with the milk based replacer. Lots of people are satisfied with a loss in daily gain if they save some money up front, so most places end up selling more soy than the real thing. Another and darker aspect enters the picture as well. People that raise bottle calves figure they are going to lose "x"% of ther calves no matter what, "so why spend the extra $$ feeding the good stuff?" But soy based replacer is harder to digest and some calves can't digest it at all. Keep looking til you find the milk based, but remember, you already have a big investment in the calf--protect that investment.

The electrolytes use--a good practice!!

 

[Moody]

It was a soft plop and now pretty runny. Not water, yet but not a whole lot thicker.

I started using the corid the day I brought her home. I put it in evening bottle. It says add 1.5 fl oz of corid to 1 pint of water and with dose syringe give 1 fl oz for each 100 pounds. Yeah, so I don't know. I put 1 oz into her milk bottle once a day. For 21 days was the plan.

Should I skip the morning milk feeding? Just give 2 pints electrolytes instead? Would you go pick up the Medicated milk based instead of the Unimilk (which I think is soy although it lists whey as the first ingredients)? Wouldn't that be harder on her to switch milk replacer now after getting some of the other Unimilk mixed in with the jersey milk for the past 4 days?

Thanks so much for answering all of my previous questions

 

[greybeard]

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