Highland calf with protein deficiency

[GLENMAR]

What you said is pretty much what we were doing. Breaking the feeding into 3x a day. With the goal of getting 2 quarts a day in her. We are using human size bottles, so that's 2 bottles a feeding. Today she took 4 and a half bottles. I have been putting grain in her mouth too. She does not seem stressed at all. No mooing or looking for her mother. We are leaving free choice hay and a little grain. She's eating hay and drinking a lot of water. I thought about alfalfa, but someone told me with everything else we were doing, that would be too rich. I'll do probiotics in the morning.

 

[GLENMAR]

she is pretty stinking cute. And friendly too.

 

[farmerjan]

Well, it seems that you are doing everything pretty "right" so keep on keeping on....If she is not looking for her mother then that is good, and is friendly then I would just give her some time. If you were to give her a little alfalfa I would give her a handful once or twice a day. Like a "candy bar" treat so that you didn't upset her gut too much or get it too rich too quick. The probiotics certainly won't hurt her so don't be afraid to give them. Since she is so little AND VERY CUTE TOO I would use the dosage for a newborn calf. Usually like 5cc worth or something, it will be on the tube. If you have never gotten them before, most of them are in a tube that is about as big around as a toilet paper roll and has a graduated marking on the side that you use for the age or size or whatever. Very self-explanatory and easy to use. Make sure you get it on the back of her tongue so she swallows it. It doesn't taste all that bad but is just different and they usually try to spit it out.

 

[GLENMAR]

What are the chances that she will reach a near normal size??

 

[farmerjan]

I would say the chances are fair to good if she "gets with the program" and gets to eating and growing. I am not real familiar with the breed, never having raised them but had some friends that had some years ago. She will probably be a little behind, but could pretty much catch up. She is still young enough that most of the lack of feed can be negated. I would say if she starts to eating and gets the protein she needs, that she will be about 6 months or so behind; but ought to get up to a decent size. This is just an opinion....
I find alot more stunting happening with heifers that get bred too early; they cannot grow and "grow a fetus" at the same time so their own growth suffers and they never do catch up.

 

[farmerjan]

Don't skimp on the milk either, that will help with the calcium and bone growth, along with the protein in the feed. It is a pain but it might give her the extra edge that she was shortchanged. Too bad they didn't pull her sooner....

 

[GLENMAR]

THANKS. That gives me hope. She's eating well. I'm already getting sometimes half a quart more in her then they were getting. I'm using whole cow milk, not milk replacer. If we need to bottle feed her until 6 mos, I'm ok with that.

 

[farmerjan]

That's great that you are giving her whole milk rather than milk replacer, just seems to "do more", and she will be less likely to scour...and I know I will get flak for that but I have raised hundreds of calves over the last 40 + years and real milk just does better....I'd keep the milk up for awhile and just moniter her progress...
Where in Va are you? I'm in the Raphine area...

 

[GLENMAR]

Bowling Green, Between Richmond and Fredericksburg.

 

[GLENMAR]

farmerjan. are you going to Va Beef Expo??