Calf Problem

Silver 1234

Bought in a charolais calf. He wont drink suck a teat. Have tried dozens of times. Only way he will drink is if milk is left with him all day. Want him drinking morning and evening. All help appreciated.

whelan1

give him a life aid or similar to make him thirsty, then should drink, ch have a reputation for being poor drinkers

DanielGibbons

How old is the calf? Did he have a hard calving?

Silver 1234

Calf is 4 weeks old . Bought him a week ago. Fine strong calf.

DanielGibbons

Silver 1234 wrote: »

Calf is 4 weeks old . Bought him a week ago. Fine strong calf.

I dunno so. I was going to suggest that they can be lazy as fcuk for the first while, but I would have thought a calf that age would have grown out of it. Best of luck with him anyway!

st1979

I had a fresian heifer this spring like that would only drink whole milk when forced by hunger and would take all day. Got some milk replacer and she would drink it immediately. Tried her back on whole milk later and still the same so weaned her with replacer on to meal.
But if your on replacer already am not sure unless you try the other way around and give it whole milk. Try to get it on meal as soon as possible. But charlaois are always know as being hard to train and dopey

bbam

Has the calf access to fresh water and fresh starter crunch?

I'd be thinking at this stage he's not going to pick it up.

If it were me I'd try:
2l electrolyte in morning.
Keep fresh water in front of him
Keep fresh crunch in front of him, change morning and evening would be better.
Fresh clean barly straw in a rack feeder all the time.
2l electrolyte in the evening.

He doesn't need the milk, if you can get him in on plenty of high protein starter crunch hell do just as well.
I'd give the electrolyte for a few days to ensure his system is kept going while he gets in on the crunch.

Silver 1234

He is eating crunch and hay and has improved with the milk drinking. The milk is now being drank much quicker. Thanks for all the help.

FarmerBrowne

Sorry to hijack this thread but it is an appropriate title for me, we had a cow calve yesterday, a good decent bull Charolais cross she had but cow has very little milk, the calf is a trier and gets all he can and he is not swollen up but he is now born 36 hours and has not passed any manure yet, can this be normal if he hasn't access to heaps of milk? He is very lively in himself

yellow50HX

FarmerBrowne wrote: »

Sorry to hijack this thread but it is an appropriate title for me, we had a cow calve yesterday, a good decent bull Charolais cross she had but cow has very little milk, the calf is a trier and gets all he can and he is not swollen up but he is now born 36 hours and has not passed any manure yet, can this be normal if he hasn't access to heaps of milk? He is very lively in himself

Did he get colistrum?, if he is hungry we would actually get a few litres of full fat milk from the supermarket if we can't get hold of any cows milk.

Figerty

Doesn't sound like there is much wrong there. Some calves make a dung when just out of the cow. Others take time to fill. As long has it has had beastings and is healthy you should be ok. Get dairy nuts into the cow ASAP. In my experience calves struggling to get milk early on rarely grow as well in the long run.
I have one this year that is way behind the rest even though born on the same day.

FarmerBrowne

Ya he got colostrum but the cow hadn't much of that either for him, we milked her after he was born and gave him 3 bottles and he has been trying to get any drop she has since, she is getting daily nuts now to see will she come to more milk, thanks will try the full fat milk tomorrow, but should i be worried that he hasn't passed manure yet?

Figerty

Don't thinks so. Could it have disappeared into the straw if you use it? I'd be a lot more worried if the calf wasn't hungry for milk.

Dogs love milky dungs as well and can do a runner with them as well.

It can be very hard to get a calf to take milk other than their own cows, they know the taste, smell and temperature of the mothers and are reluctant to take anything else. Your best be with full fat milk is the first taste the calf gets.