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Eastern NE KS | I have found a mastitis quarter is hard, and sometimes warm. The milk is not normal, often pasty cheesey. Bloody milk is worrisome but vet says it's ok.
Calf will avoid the pasty cheesy stuff. Be sure to check all 4 quarters. If all produce pasty stuff the calf has a problem, nothing good to eat. So he does not eat. Bad deal but you fix it with replacer .
If calf's nursing some, watch his condition. If his back smooths out, he is growing a doing ok. If he looks gant with his hips protruding like a Holstein cow watch him. He may be starving. Offer a cup milk or replacer in a bottle. Does he aggressively nurse? If yes, push him to mama at the chute and see if he will nurse her. If yes, it could be she is sore and fails to stand quietly for the weak calf.
A hungry aggressive calf is a useful tool. That cup of milk is sometimes enough to get him to wake up and work for it. If you feed him 2 quarts he will take the bottle but go for a nap after drinking it.
So a weak calf needs a boost. Cup of milk from a bottle is just that. I've had one refuse to stand until the milk sugar hits his brain. Then suddenly he standing and trying to find a teat. Help him latch on. Success will make him try more and sometimes too hard. Help him latch on again. Once he successfully get some milk , you can back off to see if he latches on by himself.
(Circling back)
If his jaw seems locked or frozen, is his tongue warm? If not, he is too cold. Needs warming. If the tongue is warm he is either full or the other extreme very low energy.
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Started fine
