calf 4 months old, self wean, scours ?

[bobhorkay]

I have a 4 month old steer calf, this week, it seems the calf began to develop scours and stop nursing. He had been starting to graze regular and been drinking regular up until now. I was "sharing" with mom by separating calf at night, and milking once a day, now I have to milk twice a day, i'm flooded with milk, which is great, except.....the calf has scours.  He's still up and about, not quite as playful as normal. A couple of times it looks like he tries to nurse, but he's almost too tall, too big (if that makes any sense).

I'll be watching him very closely today to see how much he drinks and eats.

Vet was here in Feb to de-horn my older calf, de-wormed the calfs mother (and her 1 year old calf that was dehorned), (but not new the calf), and "Blackleg 8-way w/tet Vacc" for all 3, and "IBR,BVD, P13, SynKilled W/ LEPTO5" - for two (I assume the older two and not the calf).

Is this normal (self wean and then develop scours), the pasture is really green and even my two heifers had very loose stools as they got used to it.  [very much new to this].

[zephyrhillsusan]

Pasture could make him get runny green poop, but it shouldn't make him actually scour. He might nurse less if he's eating grass, but I'd be astounded if a calf that young weaned himself. When I thought our calf had weaned himself, it turned out the poor thing had gotten his halter through his mouth like a bit and couldn't nurse. Someone else was checking on and feeding the cattle at the time and didn't notice; I discovered it when I checked on him. I don't keep halters on any more!

However, if he has real diarrhea and is not nursing and not feeling well, I would suspect he has something, maybe coccidia. You can take a stool sample to the vet and get it tested, and if it is coccidia, you can treat it with a sulfa bolus x3 and a coccidiostat like CORID. You can put the CORID in their water, but I was advised to use a syringe and squirt it in his mouth to make sure he got it all. Some people don't use sulfa, some use other coccidiostats, so you might ask your vet's advice.

I hope the vet didn't give immunizations to this steer in Feb. if he's four months old now; he would have been too young. Let us know how he gets on.

[Pinevalleydexters]

I would wonder if he has something in his mouth, a wood splinter? I have never seen a calf that was to big to nurse, they find a way. I would look in his mouth. My calves have never self weaned.

[dexterfarm]

I would take his temp. If he does have a temp something is wrong. If he is eating to much green grass that could explain the poop. They are never to big to suck. Yes moms will kick them off on their own but not that early. Is he not sucking or just sucking less. If mom just started getting green grass herself she could have increased production. When and how was he steered? Did you check for infection there(swelling and hot)?

[zephyrhillsusan]

bobhorkay, any update on the calf?