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SWMN | We get a fair amount of feedlot calves from cows 4 years or younger that we fatten out. Because the bags are not always perfectly clean, and poor bags we've been recommended by vets to pull the calves and feed them bag colostrum.
I've in the past been giving them to the neighbors, but I quit giving them because they can't keep them alive. The management seems to be very poor there. He feeds them whenever he gets to it, doesn't measure the milk replacer, temperature of milk isn't consistent, now is giving penicillin shots day 2 even if they don't look sick, then scours and naval infections. Guts seem to be burned out. And they die. Says he treats them with everything he can(draxxin, nuflor, penicillin, ECT...). He can't figure out how to keep them alive. I told him he's killing them by over treating.
So now my kids are taking over and so far we are 8 for 8 in the last week. It's hard for them to get the babies fed before school but they are managing and doing a good job. Now they don't have school for at least a few weeks.
I told them management is the key so can you guys please help me out and give suggestions.
1. Still gonna pull them from mama(sometimes they get beat up)
2. Bag colostrum and spray naval with iodine
3. They are weighing milk replacer with a scale
4. Shooting for a consistent temperature (106)
5. Electrolytes 2 hrs later for dehydrated calves.
6. Bismul if needed
??? I told them they should have free choice water
??? Free choice calf starter feed
??? Should I be giving any shots or vaccinations
??? Why would you give random shots of penicillin to a new born calf? Seems to me that would kill good gut bacteria... Almost all of the calves I gave him died from naval or stomach problems.
Did I mention that he likes to over treat.
I'm sure I forgot to ask something so give it to me straight up
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Feedlot calves?
