New to Bottle Calves

[JerseyXGirl]

Another question...see I'm just full of them, lol. We are just raising two for butcher so what is the purpose of ear tags? Are they for identification purposes? I have the tags and tool to do them so should I do them the same time I band?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

General generic ear tags are for keeping telling them apart and record keeping. If you have only two and don't need them, you don't have to use them.

 

[Thewife]

General generic ear tags are for keeping telling them apart and record keeping. If you have only two and don't need them, you don't have to use them.

Mine are tagged for record keeping AND so the secutity gaurd at the timber co. knows who to call when there are cows on the road!
If there is any chance your calves will ever end up, where you don't want them to be, tags may help you get them home again!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

General generic ear tags are for keeping telling them apart and record keeping. If you have only two and don't need them, you don't have to use them.

Mine are tagged for record keeping AND so the secutity gaurd at the timber co. knows who to call when there are cows on the road!
If there is any chance your calves will ever end up, where you don't want them to be, tags may help you get them home again!

Only if people know who those tags belong to. When the neighbor's heifers get out we always get a call about them. No one seems to notice what color the tags are even so, we have to go checking to make sure they are not ours.

 

[wynedot55]

im planning on tagging all of the bulls an heifers i keep to raise but havent yet.an my cows loose their ear tags.an i still know who they are # an name if they have 1.

 

[MReit]

Tagging is a great thing! Just a thought on the feed- calves may eat calf starter better then pellets just because the malasses in it makes is soo sweet. Like I said, just a thought

 

[JerseyXGirl]

They have Calf Startena available with water at all times. They have nibbled at it. After their bottle while their still searching I will put some in my hand and the lick at it. They are alot more active today. I think the transport and change of formula stressed them alittle but their doing good I will go out and get pics today and post them. Their names are T-Bone and Sirloin

 

[JerseyXGirl]

My calves have scours They look good though and I'm following everything you said Farmer Kitty. Went and got plugger (they didn't have Deliver but I bought another brand), Probios, continue on milk replacer, they are drinking from the pail of water.

I found a couple of homemade recipes for electro replacement, tell me if these sound like something I should do if they become dehydrated:

1 tblsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
8oz dextrose

makes 1 gallon, feed 1 qt every 3-4 hrs.

1oz fruit pectin
1 tsp lite salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 can beef consomme

makes 2 qts, feed 1 qt every 4-6 hrs.

Neither look dehydrated nor act dehydrated but I want to be prepared in the event of that condition.

How long do you keep them on the plugger and how long before it starts to work? Today will be the 3 rd day of feedings with the gel and they still are runny, do I continue with it or stop? Their poo is still yellow but there is some solidness to it today. They were up and active ready for their morning feeding.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Did you try an antibiotic with the plugger? It sounds as though it would be a good idea, if you aren't. Seeing some solids in there is a good thing. Hopefully, they will come out of it soon.

The first one is a straight electrolyte solution and the second one has a plugger (fruit pectin) with it as well as some nutrition (beef consumme). You already have the nutrition and plugger covered so I would go with the first. It wouldn't hurt to put some in when you feed them today. The biggest worry with scours is dehydration.

I have one little one that I've been treating since Wed. afternoon. This weather hasn't helped any. All you can do is keep treating them and if one thing doesn't seem to be working, go back and look over my info again and try something different. Each calf and each time can/will be different-part of the fustration.

Good luck.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Also, what other brand of plugger did you get?