Post by Meadow Creek Mama on Sept 29, 2019 13:33:28 GMT -5
We have a 5 month old Jersey calf that is with her mom half the day. We milk the cow in the morning. The calf has always had what we think is milk scours...grey stools, usually with mucus. A month back, she had such a dirty backside that we treated her with Corid even though she never had blood in her stool. She also got Eprinex just to be safe. It cleared up the mess, but she still has the grey manure.
We can't tell if she's really calm and the least flighty calf we've had or something is wrong with her. She's just above average on a weight tape for her age. But her skin looks too wrinkly around her neck and you can see ribs. She will graze some but the pastures are pretty much done for the year. She won't eat hay, maybe a mouthful only. Recently we've been giving her some grain with Fastrack and yeast in it to see if that helps. She'll eat just a bit. She likes to lick our skin and we've caught her licking wood and metal. She walks fine, will gallop to keep up, but never frollicks. No fever, no runny nose.
She doesn't eat hay overnight while separated and even after being put back with her mom, isn't anxious to nurse. But she does eventually, it seems like the only thing she really eats is milk. Even though there is enough room at the feeder for her (plus her own while separated), she won't eat while the cow are there. She won't eat there by herself either.
The cow was dry treated with ToMorrow so when this calf was born, she got a bunch of that with her first nursing. I think that had to have negatively effected her gut bacteria potential. The cow is also a high butterfat gal,over 6%. She gives us plenty of milk, but holds back the cream. I think when the calf nurses all she gets is heavy cream. We think she's drinking between 2-3 gallons per day. It's why I think her stools are so grey.
Weaning her might be an option, but we keep thinking if we can just get her eating some hay/roughage/fiber that staying on her mom until 7 months is better long run. There is just something mysterious about her. I'd say she's just really chill except that she doesn't seem to eat what she should.
The cows have tested negative for diseases so I don't know how she could have gotten anything like Johne's since we haven't brought anyone new in. This has been going on since before the fence jumping bull. I'm going to take a fecal in next week finally.
I'd put up pictures but since tinypic is done and I don't have a cell phone to use taptalk, I can't. I also can't get an avatar up, but that's a different issue.
Any thoughts on her?
We can't tell if she's really calm and the least flighty calf we've had or something is wrong with her. She's just above average on a weight tape for her age. But her skin looks too wrinkly around her neck and you can see ribs. She will graze some but the pastures are pretty much done for the year. She won't eat hay, maybe a mouthful only. Recently we've been giving her some grain with Fastrack and yeast in it to see if that helps. She'll eat just a bit. She likes to lick our skin and we've caught her licking wood and metal. She walks fine, will gallop to keep up, but never frollicks. No fever, no runny nose.
She doesn't eat hay overnight while separated and even after being put back with her mom, isn't anxious to nurse. But she does eventually, it seems like the only thing she really eats is milk. Even though there is enough room at the feeder for her (plus her own while separated), she won't eat while the cow are there. She won't eat there by herself either.
The cow was dry treated with ToMorrow so when this calf was born, she got a bunch of that with her first nursing. I think that had to have negatively effected her gut bacteria potential. The cow is also a high butterfat gal,over 6%. She gives us plenty of milk, but holds back the cream. I think when the calf nurses all she gets is heavy cream. We think she's drinking between 2-3 gallons per day. It's why I think her stools are so grey.
Weaning her might be an option, but we keep thinking if we can just get her eating some hay/roughage/fiber that staying on her mom until 7 months is better long run. There is just something mysterious about her. I'd say she's just really chill except that she doesn't seem to eat what she should.
The cows have tested negative for diseases so I don't know how she could have gotten anything like Johne's since we haven't brought anyone new in. This has been going on since before the fence jumping bull. I'm going to take a fecal in next week finally.
I'd put up pictures but since tinypic is done and I don't have a cell phone to use taptalk, I can't. I also can't get an avatar up, but that's a different issue.
Any thoughts on her?