The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: yankieGirl on April 30, 2012, 11:16:35 pm
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Would supplementing calf starter with goat milk help clear up the runs in a 2 week old calf?
Would it hurt to give one feeding of goat milk and another feeding with starter?
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If a young calf is scouring, get it off milk FAST.
Milk is an ideal feed for young animals and equally ideal for bacteria.
For a day, give it only glucose in water at the rate of one desertspoon glucose in 1 pint water. This will provide sufficient energy for the calf and discourage the bacteria. If it's scouring really badly then add a couple of pinches of salt to each feed as well.
Next day give it half milk/half glucose. Goats milk would certainly be good.
If it seems better by third day, go back to normal feed.
Adding garlic powder to all it's feeds will also help against bacteria. It used to be added to one brand of milk substitute for that reason. (Don't know if they still do.)
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Watering down the milk by 50% also helps.
Dose them with something that lines the stomach - these are usually kaolin based and available from the vet.
Rehydration salts if the scours are bad.
Double check your hygeine. Bucket fed calves are more susceptible to bugs. Wash and sterilise buckets between feeds and don't share buckets between calves. Keep calf pellets on offer, but dispose of any that don't get eaten. ALWAYS fresh clean water, and give barley straw as forage in preference to hay.
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Thank you!
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If the scour is very very light in colour.. whitish appearance... get the Vet quickly. It could be Bacillary White Scour which is contagious with young animals.... requiring antibiotic immediately.
If yellowish, then water with glucose for a day ot two will usually be the remedy.
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We rear dairy surplus calves and have done for a good few years now, when scour occurs I stop the milk feed and give Liquid Life Aid, a rehydration fluid that keeps everything going!! Be sure the milk is being given at the correct temp and is made up as manufacturer instructs :)
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Ditto dannidub lifeaid does what it says on the bottle.