Posted 10/17/2015 06:29 (#4843576) Subject: Week old calf throwing head back
Woodham, Ontario
I have a week old Holstein heifer that was doing just fine before but now has some strange behaviour. This morning she was laying on her side just continually trying to throw her head back. Could not stand. Tried to see if she would suck and she really wanted to drink. It even seems to calm her down. When I was letting her suck on my hand we were able to get her up and she would drink the milk from the bottle, but as soon as she lost the nipple she would just start throwing her head back and unable to stand. Her left eye seems to be looking off into the distance... Seems like it must be something in her brain... anything that can be done?
Posted 10/17/2015 07:02 (#4843629 - in reply to #4843576) Subject: RE: Week old calf throwing head back
I have seen calves do that from new born, and unless it was very minor I have not seen any of them make it. I have not seen it in older calves and I have not seen it in my 25 years raising Holsteins. In the past 12 years raising beef cattle I have probably seen it 10 times. Good Luck
Posted 10/17/2015 21:22 (#4844752 - in reply to #4843576) Subject: RE: Week old calf throwing head back
We have had luck with a heavy dose of thiamine in similar situations but it seems like our calves were a little older when they did this. Some kind of sulphur imbalance.
Posted 10/17/2015 22:20 (#4844871 - in reply to #4844752) Subject: RE: Week old calf throwing head back
sullivan il.
I have had 3 do the same exact thing starting around a week old saved 2 keep them drinking the milk add a heavy dose of sugar syrup to the milk and electrolytes between milk feedings vit. b shot everyday for a week and banamine twice a day for 14 days
Posted 10/18/2015 09:20 (#4845307 - in reply to #4844871) Subject: RE: Isn't that a sign of epilepsy?
Buffalo IL
????? Not sure but I think you can bottle feed them until they are better???? have no real experience just heard of it and I think that is what they do with the head going back like you described.