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Maybe I can help someone
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Cache Creek
Posted 2/28/2021 13:27 (#8863731)
Subject: Maybe I can help someone


Nebraska
Get a lot of answers to questions here at NAT and I appreciate the experience and knowledge that can be found here. Perhaps I can help someone for a change. Probably a long read but I wanted to pre-answer the questions. If you think I'm wrong let me hear it.

Want to discuss my experience with KCF, or what I call Kill Calf Fever. Where the heifer, or cow, goes nuts and acts like she wants to kill her baby whenever it tries to stand. If it stays down momma acts like she loves it, kinda, but knocks the crap out of it when it goes to get up. Not a normal happening for me, maybe once a year at most and usually short lived. I've always heard it was genetics, hormones, or a difficult birth.

So I bought some bred black angus first calf heifers, some AI'd for March 1st calving. Been fed plenty of pretty good July grass hay, not my best but good enough. They get cake every few days and 12:12 mineral with spot on consumption and cobalt blue salt blocks.

Started calving 15 Feb, -20 deg., heard a cow bellering, thought she was talking to one of the dogs, had a lunger calf that didn't get sold that went down in the cold and the dog was hanging around it. By the time I got it in my head that something was going on, the cow was still bellering, the calf was froze. Well, 2 weeks early, probably aborted, sure looked good enough to be born though. Come 19 Feb, heard the bellering and knew what was going on. Headed out, sure enough KCF. Zero degrees, coming nightfall, calf went to house for the night. Next morning reintroduced the calf, she wanted to love it but, again, beat the crap out of it. Gave her several hours but she never came out of it. Bottle calf.

Long story short, first 7 heifers, 100% KCF, 2 dead, 3 bottle babies, 2 that ended up with their mommas after they cooled down enough to let baby suck (not a couple hours like normal, I'm talking around 18 hours). Not a good start and to say I was hot about the situation was an understatement, ready to sell the whole bunch. Not only were they nuts with their own calves but I witnessed a heifer run 130 yards to knock down another calf. wth? Didn't seem to mind the dogs or me.

Called my feed dealer to discuss as he has good knowledge. He couldn't understand either, had to be genetics. But the sticking point for both of us was that I was running 100%, maybe it was environmental. Offhand he offered maybe some magnesium to calm their nerves. So I put some hi-mag out, straight, no salt. They consumed the bag in one day (should have lasted 3 days), same the second day. I thought that was strange, usually you have to add salt to get them to eat hi-mag. Third bag of hi-mag I mixed with their regular mineral as I started seeing some messy butts. They were definitely after the magnesium.

Now, the very next calf born was accepted by the momma, no drama. And every birth since. No KCF.

Too long/ didn't read. Add some hi-mag to prevent kill calf fever.

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