Young bull recovering from pneumonia and bloat

antrimite

Have a yearling PB bull recovering from pneumonia and bloat in December. He had to get red devil into rumen to keep the bloat at bay, has had it removed over a month and still isn’t thriving. Getting hay, straw and a couple of scoops of calf crunch daily. Seems to be pressing to dung a lot too.

Anyone had the same issue and did animal recover?

He was bought for use in spring time with heifers but not looking good at the minute.

Any tips on what I can do to get him going?

greysides

I'd be looking for a replacement. Whatever he has is now gone chronic and has a correspondingly low chance of improvement.

Lime Tree Farm

greysides wrote: »

I'd be looking for a replacement. Whatever he has is now gone chronic and has a correspondingly low chance of improvement.

Would cud juices help him.

greysides

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Would cud juices help him.

Wouldn't hurt.... if you could get them.

Tonynewholland

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Would cud juices help him.

I don’t see how it could help. The animal is bloating probably because the glands on the lower neck are swollen from the pneumonia.

antrimite

He’s past the bloat stage and the pneumonia has cleared he’s just not improving.

Hoping that once he hits good grass in spring it’ll maybe give him a boost.

He’s a well bred bull and cost good money so want to give him every chance to make it.

Have never had the issue in an animal before so it’s hard to know what to do!

_Brian

antrimite wrote: »

He’s past the bloat stage and the pneumonia has cleared he’s just not improving.

Hoping that once he hits good grass in spring it’ll maybe give him a boost.

He’s a well bred bull and cost good money so want to give him every chance to make it.

Have never had the issue in an animal before so it’s hard to know what to do!

I would worry about his lungs. If this wasn’t the first bout of pneumonia he’s had his lungs may be damaged beyond him thriving. We did a PM on a dead heifer here at the house one night amd the thing that struck me was how small bovine lungs are, vet was saying often one bad bout of pneumonia can be enough for permanent damage.

whelan2

We had a fr bull last year he got pneumonia. I thought he had recovered. Let him in with heifers and he wasnt well. This was months after he was treated. His heart came under pressure and there was a big swelling in the bottom of his neck. Vet came out and he died the next day. If I had the time back, I'd have sent him to the factory after the drugs cleared from the first bout.

antrimite

whelan2 wrote: »

We had a fr bull last year he got pneumonia. I thought he had recovered. Let him in with heifers and he wasnt well. This was months after he was treated. His heart came under pressure and there was a big swelling in the bottom of his neck. Vet came out and he died the next day. If I had the time back, I'd have sent him to the factory after the drugs cleared from the first bout.

We had a heifer bulling during the week and put her in, he was definitely interested but didn’t seem to have the piff to get up and serve her. He got serious jabs on his rump treating the pneumonia and seems a bit stiff in back legs so hoping that’s maybe the problem

Base price

antrimite wrote: »

Have a yearling PB bull recovering from pneumonia and bloat in December. He had to get red devil into rumen to keep the bloat at bay, has had it removed over a month and still isn’t thriving. Getting hay, straw and a couple of scoops of calf crunch daily. Seems to be pressing to dung a lot too.

Anyone had the same issue and did animal recover?

He was bought for use in spring time with heifers but not looking good at the minute.

Any tips on what I can do to get him going?

If he was mine I would be trying everything to get him going cause otherwise he doesn't sound like he is going to make it. The dung pressing is most likely due to the dry feed of hay/straw. Can you give him silage or let him out to a paddock for a nip of grass for a few hours every day. Milk of Magnesia is good cure for an animal that maybe has murrin (sp) but as I suggested in your other thread try to get cud juice from a local abattoir.

antrimite

_Brian wrote: »

I would worry about his lungs. If this wasn’t the first bout of pneumonia he’s had his lungs may be damaged beyond him thriving. We did a PM on a dead heifer here at the house one night amd the thing that struck me was how small bovine lungs are, vet was saying often one bad bout of pneumonia can be enough for permanent damage.

Vet seemed to think it was all stress related as we imported him from Scotland and he hadn’t been in a crush never mind on a trailer for 8hrs

Tonynewholland

_Brian wrote: »

I would worry about his lungs. If this wasn’t the first bout of pneumonia he’s had his lungs may be damaged beyond him thriving. We did a PM on a dead heifer here at the house one night amd the thing that struck me was how small bovine lungs are, vet was saying often one bad bout of pneumonia can be enough for permanent damage.

Was that a Belgium blue by any chance. I think their lungs are smaller

Base price

antrimite wrote: »

We had a heifer bulling during the week and put her in, he was definitely interested but didn’t seem to have the piff to get up and serve her. He got serious jabs on his rump treating the pneumonia and seems a bit stiff in back legs so hoping that’s maybe the problem

TBH I wouldn't be putting him under extra pressure introducing bulling heifers. The bull needs time to heal and get healthy before you can think about him working. You said that you imported him from Scotland and I'm sure he is costing you a lot but unfortunately you are where you are so take my advice and give him time.

longgonesilver

Two questions, what age is he? Was he a soft well fleshed animal when you bought him?

antrimite

longgonesilver wrote: »

Two questions, what age is he? Was he a soft well fleshed animal when you bought him?

He’s just turned a year old and he was definitely not pushed as a calf, born and reared outside with some creep meal 6 weeks before weaning. The third time have bought from the same herd as they don’t push their stock

longgonesilver

How is he doing now?

antrimite

longgonesilver wrote: »

How is he doing now?

Coming slowly. We put an iodine bolus into him last week and he’s came round a bit. He got a dose of closamectin and few days outside at grass (before the freeze) and it definitely perked him up. Going to be a long road to getting some flesh on him

Westernrock

antrimite wrote: »

He’s just turned a year old and he was definitely not pushed as a calf, born and reared outside with some creep meal 6 weeks before weaning. The third time have bought from the same herd as they don’t push their stock

Never get the fascination with such young bulls here in Ireland, in the north and in the uk most bulls would be 18-24months before they would even think of using them. It’s a lot of stress on a young bull that’s just hitting puberty to be thrown out with cows.

Hope your bull turns the corner for you though, I would recommend getting him fertility tested before you want to use him anyway to be sure he will do the job

antrimite

Westernrock wrote: »

Never get the fascination with such young bulls here in Ireland, in the north and in the uk most bulls would be 18-24months before they would even think of using them. It’s a lot of stress on a young bull that’s just hitting puberty to be thrown out with cows.

Hope your bull turns the corner for you though, I would recommend getting him fertility tested before you want to use him anyway to be sure he will do the job

I’m in the north, we have never had any issues with Simmental bull of 16 months going out with half a dozen heifers in May time for 6 weeks then to the cows at start of July. I feel if bulls are pushed with ration from young age then they’ll be soft as pig dung when it comes to the business end of things.

And he’ll def get tested April time if he’s made progress

Westernrock

antrimite wrote: »

I’m in the north, we have never had any issues with Simmental bull of 16 months going out with half a dozen heifers in May time for 6 weeks then to the cows at start of July. I feel if bulls are pushed with ration from young age then they’ll be soft as pig dung when it comes to the business end of things.

And he’ll def get tested April time if he’s made progress

Absolutely the feeding plays a massive part as well, have men here in the west would be looking for bulls fertility tested from 9months of age!! Big difference putting them out with 6 heifers and lads letting bulls 12-14 months off with 20-30cows straight after buying them.

antrimite

Westernrock wrote: »

Absolutely the feeding plays a massive part as well, have men here in the west would be looking for bulls fertility tested from 9months of age!! Big difference putting them out with 6 heifers and lads letting bulls 12-14 months off with 20-30cows straight after buying them.

I remember reading that a young bull first time should not be put with any more cows than his age in months.

Men looking daily live weight gain figures are the blight of the suckler farmer. I would never buy a bull in a pedigree sale. Fed nothing but ration for months and more interested in standing at the trough instead of serving cows. I have seen it happen

148multi

antrimite wrote: »

I remember reading that a young bull first time should not be put with any more cows than his age in months.

Men looking daily live weight gain figures are the blight of the suckler farmer. I would never buy a bull in a pedigree sale. Fed nothing but ration for months and more interested in standing at the trough instead of serving cows. I have seen it happen

Can you find out if the breeder gave him a worm bolus

whelan2

antrimite wrote: »

I’m in the north, we have never had any issues with Simmental bull of 16 months going out with half a dozen heifers in May time for 6 weeks then to the cows at start of July. I feel if bulls are pushed with ration from young age then they’ll be soft as pig dung when it comes to the business end of things.

And he’ll def get tested April time if he’s made progress

Do you have a replacement for him?

antrimite

whelan2 wrote: »

Do you have a replacement for him?

Not yet! May possibly AI the heifers he was due to run with in May and buy a mature bull to run with cows in July.

Any men with easy calving Sim bulls (polled preferably) send them my way