[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

Hi, I am hoping for some advice.  My Dexter cow calved on Friday, a seemingly normal delivery though I didn't see it.  It was her 5th calf and she has had no issues rearing any previously.  Anyway, on Saturday afternoon we noticed that the calf was staying still in the field and looking very pinched and weak and got them both into the handling system.  Cow's udder was huge with very big teats and I hand milked her and fed about 3l in a lamb's bottle (only one I had) to the calf who clearly hadn't been drinking.  The calf didn't want any more after the 3l and seemed brighter and passed pale yellow manure.  We repeated the same this morning but got less milk and the calf took only about a litre, with us assuming that it must have started feeding.  They are still penned up together but calf is still weakish, lying down but not prostrate and Mum is standing very near making all the right noises with a huge udder.  Calf didn't want more than a few ml of milk from this morning's milking though.  Anyway, what should I be doing?  I can't see that there is any reason why the calf isn't feeding.  Should I be trying to put the calf on the teat tomorrow morning?  Is it possible that the calf has an infection and isn't feeding because of that? 
Helen
Helen

[Rosemary]

I think you should consult your vet. Given the timescales - born Friday and a problem not detected until Saturday afternoon - it is unlikely that the calf has had sufficient colostrum and will be very succeptible to infections now.

[Sbom]

If he's not feeding then I'd tube him some electrolytes.
3litres is a lot for a dexter calf to take in one go, 1.5/ 2 litres is more than enough, it may have upset his system a little.
Take his temperature as well...

[farmers wife]

Stomach tubing is the only way (easy).  You need to get supplements and a few jabs from the vet. Calfs are prone to various aliments when not consuming milk.  Once the infection gets in the gut there is little chance of turning back.  I have seen it and I personally wont go through saving ill calves again its painful and pitiful.


Unfortunately you wont know if the calf was strong from the outset if the calf was scoring poor on birth or whether its just a dull calf that wont suck.


Vet needs to take temp and see whether they think its a positive outcome. 

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

Thanks for all your advice.  I have taken the calf's temperature and it is normal.  Spoke to vet who said assume worse case scenario - ie no immunity and take temp twice daily.  Have got a tube of kick start to give the calf and tried to top up with milk and it took a little but belly seems reasonably full given it didn't have more than a few couple of hundred ml yesterday from the bottle.  I have seen it trying to feed and it has got to its feet but really a waiting game now to see whether it improves or goes downhill.  Kicking myself for making the assumption that it had fed as no issues with calving or with the calf at birth, with an experienced cow.  Have learnt not to make assumptions re lambs feeding but calf threw me. 
Helen

[sabrina]

It is possible that the calf had a wee bother being born. He may have pain in his neck which means trying to feed can be uncomfortable. I only suggest this as i have seen it in foals. If this is the problem he should improve given time.

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

I thought I would update you all on the progress of my Dexter calf who wasn't feeding.  The situation seems dramatically improved, though we still have to assume that the calf didn't get colostrum in the 6 hour window and monitor carefully for signs of illness in the coming months.  We continued hand milking for a couple of days and gave the calf some kick-start paste from the vet and a shot of Betamox LA but the calf remained a bit lethargic and I wasn't expecting a positive outcome.  I turned them out with the rest of my very small herd and now can't catch the heifer (or indeed the cow who obviously didn't like tied up and milked)!  She is behaving in exactly the way I would expect a week old Dexter calf to behave and is clearly feeding (both from her appearance and that of Mum's udder).  I appreciate that it is early days but things seem to be improving.  In the event that she didn't get the necessary colostrum (I can only find out via blood-test) what would you advise in terms of selling her on?  Would any issues come to light in the first 9 months or so?  Should I sell her on the basis that she may have been compromised and offer to buy her back if she has problems in later life?    I can see that opening up a whole can of worms later down the line but don't know what to say to a prospective buyer.  I have two people interested in buying her on weaning.
Helen

[farmers wife]

If the calf is doing well and no issues to date then its sounding good.  Perhaps discuss as an option but you have plenty of time to think about selling when close to weaning.  Illness is seen in young calves particularly those kept in confined areas or stressed.  Id say by 3 months if all is well then there is no issues to take forward.  A calf outside on grass has less chance of picking up infections. Keeping the worm count down by good regular rotation, mineral buckets, salt licks etc


There are general rules but in the wild a calf could be left in a ditch for a day and some animals are poor mums yet these calves go on to be good offspring. 


Just see if the calf performs, surely a buyer will want to see the condition of the calf before purchase and should be able to make an assumption of whether that calf is of good breeding, conformation and health no difference to any livestock buying really.

[Helen Wiltshire Horn]

Thanks for all your advice.  We tagged the calf today and started halter-training.  She is certainly very feisty and seems completely normal for her age - such a difference from how she was a week ago.  They have all gone out on good grass now so will see how she does over the next couple of months and take a view on weaning.
Helen