Rearing Freisan bull calves?

locky76

I'm after buying 8 freisan bull calves off a nieghbour, they're coming on Saturday and are approximately five weeks old...
Any tips on rearing them?
My plan is:

• Fresh water, meal(calf crunch) & straw ad lib
• Fresh bedding, cleaned out regularly
• Feed them once a day maverick at 6 in the evening
• Let them access to a paddock during the day at 8 weeks of age
• Let them out full time at 10 weeks of age

Any advice on the above appreciated, I haven't reared dairy calves in 10 years...

kevthegaff

Sounds spot on, dont forget to blackeg also

bbam

I've no experience if OAD.
But be ready with other stuff that you'll need but can't get in a Sunday morning.

Good thermometer
Isolation pen with heat lamp
Electrolytes
Kaolin powder
Few scour tablets.
Fine needle for syringe
Drill with skim mixer is the only way to mix milk.

onyerbikepat

Get some bread soda.
I used this 'homebrew' this year and it cleared up a calf scour (suckler calf) in about 12 hours. Glucose is just sugar, BTW.
Dirt cheap and effective.

http://www.animalhealthireland.ie/ckfinder/userfiles/files/20130130%20CAC%20Electrolyte%20Solution.pdf

Injuryprone

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Get some bread soda.
I used this 'homebrew' this year and it cleared up a calf scour (suckler calf) in about 12 hours. Glucose is just sugar, BTW.
Dirt cheap and effective.

http://www.animalhealthireland.ie/ckfinder/userfiles/files/20130130%20CAC%20Electrolyte%20Solution.pdf

+1

Have been using that mix here for around 10 years with great results. 3 years ago 95% of calves needed it for 2 days each, every one survived.......that was some amount of bags of bread soda though!! Started vaccinating with rotavec corona after that.....haven't bought bread soda since.

Round Bale

Injuryprone wrote: »

+1

Have been using that mix here for around 10 years with great results. 3 years ago 95% of calves needed it for 2 days each, every one survived.......that was some amount of bags of bread soda though!! Started vaccinating with rotavec corona after that.....haven't bought bread soda since.

You'll be next to get scour, from all that aoud shop bread:o

bbam

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Get some bread soda.
I used this 'homebrew' this year and it cleared up a calf scour (suckler calf) in about 12 hours. Glucose is just sugar, BTW.
Dirt cheap and effective.

http://www.animalhealthireland.ie/ckfinder/userfiles/files/20130130%20CAC%20Electrolyte%20Solution.pdf

Glucose is not just sugar, its A sugar.

Glucose is something like twice as fast absorbed in the animal than regular sugar, its also easier to dissolve.

Giving regular sugar is not near as effective so you would need to give more, then there is an increased risk of the sugar making its way to the bowel where it will continue to draw water from the surrounding tissues, the extra water in the bowel then makes the scour worse..

onyerbikepat

I stand corrected.:rolleyes:
Where would you buy Glucose?

whelan2

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I stand corrected.:rolleyes:
Where would you buy Glucose?

Dunnes stores

Nekarsulm

Feck ya Biddy, I was on my way to buy them and he told me " a woman who bought of me last year is coming for them, I'd say she will buy them"!

whelan2

i bought 2 packs the last day i was getting them, girl at checkout said to me was i sure i wanted 2 packs, no one ever buys 2 packs of glucose:D

J.O. Farmer

bbam wrote: »

Glucose is not just sugar, its A sugar.

Glucose is something like twice as fast absorbed in the animal than regular sugar, its also easier to dissolve.

Giving regular sugar is not near as effective so you would need to give more, then there is an increased risk of the sugar making its way to the bowel where it will continue to draw water from the surrounding tissues, the extra water in the bowel then makes the scour worse..

Sugar as in table sugar is sucrose. Sucrose is 2 glucose molecules joined together. Sucrose needs to be broken down into 2 separate glucose molecules before it can be used. Glucose can be used straight away as is by cells.

J.O. Farmer

bbam wrote: »

Glucose is not just sugar, its A sugar.

Glucose is something like twice as fast absorbed in the animal than regular sugar, its also easier to dissolve.

Giving regular sugar is not near as effective so you would need to give more, then there is an increased risk of the sugar making its way to the bowel where it will continue to draw water from the surrounding tissues, the extra water in the bowel then makes the scour worse..

Sugar as in table sugar is sucrose. Sucrose is 2 glucose molecules joined together. Sucrose needs to be broken down into 2 separate glucose molecules before it can be used. Glucose can be used straight away as is by cells.

whelan2

glucose is also handy if a calf wont suck

Miname

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Feck ya Biddy, I was on my way to buy them and he told me " a woman who bought of me last year is coming for them, I'd say she will buy them"!

she done you a favour.

Greengrass1

whelan2 wrote: »

glucose is also handy if a calf wont suck

Yep calve that's near dead.
100 grammes per litre and he'll be bouncing off the walls in an hour

Nekarsulm

Miname wrote: »

she done you a favour.

:D

Farmer Pudsey

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Get some bread soda.
I used this 'homebrew' this year and it cleared up a calf scour (suckler calf) in about 12 hours. Glucose is just sugar, BTW.
Dirt cheap and effective.

http://www.animalhealthireland.ie/ckfinder/userfiles/files/20130130%20CAC%20Electrolyte%20Solution.pdf

Yes that is the mix it is the exact same as electrolyte except the put some citrus and Vitiman c in the one's you buy off a vet.

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I stand corrected.:rolleyes:
Where would you buy Glucose?

In any supermarket it is usually near baking products.

whelan2 wrote: »

i bought 2 packs the last day i was getting them, girl at checkout said to me was i sure i wanted 2 packs, no one ever buys 2 packs of glucose:D

Ha I remember buying 4-6 bags at the time of glucose, used to always feed it to calves after they were bought in either before or after first milk feed. I was lazy used to go to the evening mart buy my calves, leave them in the sales ring it used to be bedded with sawdust and collect following morning. Mart would not be finished until 10pm.

Another tip OP if the farmer you are buying off is feeding them milk replacer, buy the same brand. Always found that maverick was one of the stronger milk replacer's and it could scour calves that were not used to it.

larrymiller

Does everyone just give one dose of electro light

TEAT SQUEEZER

larrymiller wrote: »

Does everyone just give one dose of electro light

no at least 4 ie: twice for 2 days and keep the milk in the diet .. had a group all scouring together so gave them electrolytes at their usual milk feeding time and then milk midday and later in evening ... they were used to feeding at the usual time and took the electrolytes no bother and obviously were mad for milk at any time .. saved bottling a heap of them individually ,saved a heap of time....

Farmer Pudsey

TEAT SQUEEZER wrote: »

no at least 4 ie: twice for 2 days and keep the milk in the diet .. had a group all scouring together so gave them electrolytes at their usual milk feeding time and then milk midday and later in evening ... they were used to feeding at the usual time and took the electrolytes no bother and obviously were mad for milk at any time .. saved bottling a heap of them individually ,saved a heap of time....

That is the beauty of the electrolyte mix it costs less than 50c/two litres I think so it is not too expensive to bulk feed or to use on bough in calves for first feed etc.

larrymiller

whelan2 wrote: »

Dunnes stores

Tried tesco yesterday had no luck, wil venture to dunnes later maybe.
Is it in a bag like sugar?

whelan2

larrymiller wrote: »

Tried tesco yesterday had no luck, wil venture to dunnes later maybe.
Is it in a bag like sugar?

it is a clear bag,with orange on it, it will be with the baking stuff. Alot of shops dont sell it any more as it doesnt really sell iykwim.

whelan2

Glucose

larrymiller

whelan2 wrote: »

Glucose

Thanks heading to town later will get sone

larrymiller

Lads what intervals should they be say if I had a shook calf in the morning and wanted to give it milk, scour tab and electrolites ?

Sam Kade

locky76 wrote: »

I'm after buying 8 freisan bull calves off a nieghbour, they're coming on Saturday and are approximately five weeks old...
Any tips on rearing them?
My plan is:

• Fresh water, meal(calf crunch) & straw ad lib
• Fresh bedding, cleaned out regularly
• Feed them once a day maverick at 6 in the evening
• Let them access to a paddock during the day at 8 weeks of age
• Let them out full time at 10 weeks of age

Any advice on the above appreciated, I haven't reared dairy calves in 10 years...

kevthegaff wrote: »

Sounds spot on, dont forget to blackeg also

Except for the Maverick use shine once a day instead it's made with skim milk takes longer to digest and little or no scour. Whey based runs through a calf and they don't thrive on it, from my experience.

Greengrass1

Sam Kade wrote: »

Except for the Maverick use shine once a day instead it's made with skim milk takes longer to digest and little or no scour. Whey based runs through a calf and they don't thrive on it, from my experience.

Never heard that before alright. I'm using volac here and a good few calves would have fairly watery dungs on OAD so I had to stop them

bbam

larrymiller wrote: »

Lads what intervals should they be say if I had a shook calf in the morning and wanted to give it milk, scour tab and electrolites ?

Give the electrolytes 20 minutes before milk feed. This way electrolyte has been absorbed and the calf will get the best of the feed. He'll also feel better and so be easier fed.
The scour tablet I'd just give before feed. Not sure if there is a better time.

If the calf is weak you could add an egg or two to the milk. Good to build them up. And feed three times a day for a few days is no harm either.(that's three versus two feeds, not three OAD feeds)

galwayhillbilly

I've seen 'Shine' mentioned several times on various threads on boards I have been to at least 6 different feed merchants since I began rearing calves this year and all I can seem to get is either Volac or Maverick, and an occasional brand that nobody has ever heard of. Does anyone know where it can be got west of the Shannon? Also prices vary between €39 a bag to €50 a bag which seems a ridiculous variation for the same stuff, also seems to be a bit like the supermarkets the lad who is dear with the milk replacer is cheap with the nuts and vv. Bloody marketing tricks

exercise is the antidote

Use Gain milk replacer here it's abit on the dear side at €45 a bag, but seem to get less scour and calves seem more happy and full after a feed.. It is very inconsistent though..I found when I was using Volac that they were prone to scour