Orphan Calve need help bottle feeding PLS HELP

[WhispertheCalve]

well im not sure if he acutally has just yesterday was the first day for me to see him he was kind of by hisself but as we got closer one of the heifers with horns blocked us and took the calve but we knew that wasnt the mother these cows r really not ours its our landlord and he told us it was a black calve but when we found him he's buff color with a white head this morning my husband went to check on the cows the horned heifer was with the other cows across the field but the calve wasnt we walked the whole 15 acres and found it on the other side laying in the grass it put up a fight when we put in the truck and when we put it in our chicken fence/coop so he would stay warm with the heating lamp about hour later he started laying down and doesnt want to get up so im very worried for the lil guy

 

[WhispertheCalve]

he's not skinny skinny so he had had some food in him at one point and his umbilical cord is almost gone so he had to had some food or wouldnt still be alive right? idk the calves i had to bottle feed my step dad got from cow sale and was older then him

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Use your hand to rub up his backbone from his tail toward his head. That usually stimulates them to stand (like hte mother would lick them). Definitely get his temp, and I would not use a turkey baster, that's likely to make him aspirate milk. You may be able to get him to suck milk from a pan if you don't have a bottle, but if there's any way you could run out and pick up a calf bottle I'd do it.

 

[WhispertheCalve]

i have a calf bottle but he wont suck from it im going to get him some pedialyte and im located in danville arkansas

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Sounds to me as if there are several possible things that could be going on with this little one. I pray that he got colostrum, first of all. Without that, I am sorry to say that there isn't much to be done. Assuming he did get that, then he may have just gone too long without eating, could be stressed out and developing issues as a result of that stress, or he may be trying to go septic.
There are several drugs out there that are good for "shipping fever" which is brought on by stress. My drug of choice being Nuflor. Most of the more comon "over the counter" drugs don't seem to be worth alot for that purpose.
Could be dehydrated as well. If you take the calfs neck skin between your thrumb and fingers and pull it away from his neck, does it snap back in place quickly or does it take a little while? What color are his gums, pink or pale and white looking? What is his temp? All of these are important ways to monitor him.

 

[WhispertheCalve]

i have nothing to check his temp but his skin snaps back quickly when checked it in his mouth its light pink when i got back from the store he was standing up and checking things out i got some pedialyte mixed with sugar down him then he went back to laying down when i was giving the pedialyte he fought back like before and its just me out there doing this cuz my husband is at work but i got as much as i could down him. i turned on the heating lamp just case he might get cold tonight and i shut the door so no animals can bother him tonight

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

It has been a long time, but back when I was a kid, here is what we did. Will the calve suck your finger? If you can get them to suck your finger, than put your hand, his noise into a bucket of milk. He sucks your finger and then gets the milk. We did that a few times and before you know, they are drinking out of the bucket.

 

[Queen Mum]

My dad would take the calf off the mom in the first three or 4 days. He never bottle fed. Seems cruel, I know. But he would stick his fingers in its mouth and lower it's head into the bucket while it was sucking and it would suck in the milk. That's how it would get it's milk. Just make sure the milk is warm. Not hot. It won't take long and he'll be sucking down the milk. if it doesn't get collostrum it won't die. it will just not be as strong. You can get collustrum substittute and give it later. It will be OK. Not as good as the first few days but it's better than nothing.

 

[WhispertheCalve]

as of right now i cant get it to suck on my finger at all. the other cows started mooing and he was answering back im hoping he makes it threw the night very worried and hope he takes the bottle or atleast starts sucking on my finger im just hoping that with all that happen he just a lil shock and will snap out of it

 

[Pumpkinpup]

I have had several calves through the years that would not suck. I just kept forcing them to take milk I trickled slowly into the back of their mouth with a 35cc syringe (no needle and the size was easier to handle than one of the big 60cc oral ones) I would give 2 syringes at a time and wait a hour or so and do it again. Some took days of that before the suck reflex kicked in but I had to be persistant and forceful. With dairy breeds especially, it is a battle of wills as they seem to have a stubborn streak bent on preventing you from doing anything that would keep them hanging on I love the little buggars but they can really give you a heck of a fight!
Be very persistant, that is key to success in this situation! I can't stress that enough. MAKE HIM eat something in spite of him fighting you on it.
Hang in there and we will be here to support you Good Luck