Why does my calf poop stink really bad?

My calf's poop stinks really bad 

I am not saying that calf poop normal smells good, but there are those times when it really smells bad. Like something died. This is actually a very serious condition. Rancid smelling poop in calf is an indication that it is not digesting it's intake well.

Most of the time you will notice this in bottle calves, and a few novice with bottle calves will think it has something to do with type or brand of milk replacer. Somehow the milk replacer is not agreeing with the calf's stomach. It is not true. Something is going on.  Attempting to change or go to a different brand of milk replacer won't help the problem.

Now feeding milk replacer does have something to do with causing the calf poop to smell horrible and a factor in  treating the problem. You want to get this corrected right away. Poor nutritional absorption in calf will cause weakness and the organs to start shutting down quickly in a calf. Also weaken the immune system make the calf susceptible to a deadly rapid bacterial growth causing sudden death. Example: Blackleg

What is causing the poop is smell so bad

The calf's intestines are infected by a bacteria causing damage and poor nutritional absorption. E coli is common but also one of many bacteria that could be the problem.

How do I get my calf's intestines healthy again 

Active charcoal or charcoal can help in most cases. But the problem is if you administer antibiotics you going to low the effectiveness of the antibiotics.

I use a two step treatment method that has worked extremely well for my calves. The first part is to give antibiotics and the next is to substitute milk replacer feeding with a different product for a few days. It is also important not to allow them water during this treatment time.

In my guidelines for raising and caring for calves the treatment use for scouring calves is the exact same treatment.  

Chick Here for my Calf Raising Guidelines 

Related Post:
Why does my calf poop stink really bad 
Calf with watery poop
Bottle feeding a calf milk replacer

Does a calf need more milk as it grows

How much milk replacer should I be feeding a week old calf and will the calf need more milk replacer as it grows?

Two solid questions that anyone attempting to raise a calf on a bottle will need to know. The amount of milk replacer needed for calf is two four pint bottles twice a day. I have raised hundreds of bottle calves through out the years and it has been my experiences when bottle feeding calves that this same amount of milk replacer will work for 98% of the calf out there on a bottle.

How often should I bottle feed a calf

It has been a tied and true fact that calves respond to bottle feeding best when fed twice a day. It is optimal if the calf can be bottle fed every twelve hours. I prefer bottle feeding a calf at 7 am and then at 7 pm but when the clock hands show 6 works good also.

Due to busy schedules, it is not always practical or possible for bottle feeding a calf every twelve hours apart. Most calf raisers can find time in the morning when they start their day and then only have time at the end of the day. This might put bottle feeding the calf at 6 am and then again at 8 pm or even earlier such as 5 pm.

Importance of feeding calves starter while bottle feeding milk replacer

The biggest mistake I have found in regards to bottle feeding calve milk replacer is failure to feed calf starter. I have bottle fed hundreds of calf through the years of dairy farming and cattle ranching. My love of cattle has always provided me with little calves to bottle fed.

People have always asked what was the one must do when bottle feeding calves. The answer is simple- feed calf starter grain right from the start. There are special formulated grain feeds for new born calves. The stomach of newborn calves are different than those of older calves.

Bottle feeding calves milk replacer

Two of the main concerns when bottle feeding calves milk replacer is  1) how often 2) how much. These are the most important factors because every aspect of calf’s health can depend on it. 

How often is bottle feeding calves milk replacer done? Should the calf be bottle fed twice a day or should the calf be bottle fed more than that like three to four times a day?

First time heifer had problems calving and calf is not getting enough milk

Emailed Question~
“My first time Hereford heifer recently calved and had problems during birth. She abandoned the calf. It received plenty of colostrum its first couple of days (we put the cow in a head stanchion and let the calf nurse multiple times the first few days). We have since been allowing the calf to nurse twice daily off of its mother and giving it 3/4 bottle of milk replacer midday. So far it is doing well but we are now concerned the mother is not producing enough milk. We are probably going to transition to feeding the bottle three times daily. I was wondering if you had any ideas about the best way to do this without causing scours. Any help would be great. Thanks.”

Response~

First, I wouldn’t let the possibility of the calf scouring influence my decision on wither or not to switch the calf over to just bottle feeding. In this case I would continue to keep the calf on the heifer as long as possible or for at least 3 months.
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I understand the heifer may not be  willing to let the calf nurse and has to be restrained for the calf to do so. Normally after a few weeks the discomfort of the calf nursing subsides and the heifer’s attitude will likely change. It takes some time for swelling in the heifers tits to go down and she fully accepts the calf.

I would continue to bottle feeding one bottle of milk replacer midday and allow the calf to nurse the heifer at it’s choice placing the heifer in restraint twice day if necessary for two weeks. If things go well the heifer will accept her calf and also start producing more milk. I have ran into situations when it was not possible to do.

The calf was just not getting enough milk from the heifer or the heifer just became so difficult to handle it was best to remove the calf completely. In the cases that I have removed the calf only after a few days, just a few calves started scouring. I would estimate the risk of scouring in these cases would be small. By the way the calf can still scour if left just on the heifer. If the calf was to start scouring then I would proceed with treatment of the calf and move forward.

By separating the pair during the night and bringing the two back together in the morning, you can get a good ideal about how much milk the calf is getting from her mother. Observing the bag size before and after nursing and the amount of time the calf spends trying will help to judge the amount of milk the calf is getting. One little tip that is almost a dead ringer for knowing the calf isn’t getting enough from the heifer is: If the calf gives up on trying to nurse the heifer and comes to you looking for a bottle. The calf  knows which option is producing the best results.  

You always have to follow your gut in these cases. If you have the feeling the calf is just not getting enough then you have to make the decision which route will be the best.

Use of Tube Feeder in Calves
Scours
Tips When Calves Don’t Want to Suckle a Bottle

Cattle Colostrum, The Magic Moo Juice

First milk, the good stuff, top shelf, the best milk a calf can get. Otherwise this milk is known as colostrum. Colostrum is the milk produce by the cow in the first few days after birth. This special milk is full of vitamins and loaded with the cows own antibodies to fight illness. This milk gets a new born calf off to a great start in life, but not all calves are able to nurse on this magic moo juice.

The cow might die in the birth process or became too weak to stand up for a few days after birth. Sometimes the tits on the cow’s bag are too large for a newbie to nurse; there are many reasons why a calf could miss its colostrums. This does not have to be the end for the young calf. It still got a good chance of living with some help form a nursing bottle.

If I find the calf in the first ten hours after birth, then I will mix up the first bottle of milk replacer with a colostrum supplement. I will let the baby calf nurse as much of the bottle as it can. Only give this supplement for one bottle and then go with a regular milk replacer. If the newbie is older than ten hours, I feel that colostrum supplement does not do the calf any good, so strait with the regular milk replacer. I always like to use a natural milk replacer that is rated for one to ninety days old. I think it is important that the milk replacer provides enough nutrients of the age of the calf, so be sure you read the bag. Many times when a baby calf is sickly or recovering from illness, I like to use grade A ultra milk replacer, so the weak calf will have something extra nursing on.

We have raised many calves that were not able to nurse a cow’s first milk. These calves seem to have a bit more problems. They have the tendency to get sick much easier and once ill, they are slower to recover from the illness. The odds of these calves making it to weaning age differently goes down. There are several reasons that can cause a calf not to live ninety days and be old enough to get off the bottle. Most cows are unable to raise every calf they give birth to. In fact, the chances of a first time mother cow are only about half the time she will raise her first calf. Mother Nature is on the cows side while for us with a nursing bottle, were fighting an uphill battle for the first week or two.

It takes a lot of effort to bottle feed a calf. You’re committed to feeding twice a day sometimes three. This is not a situation most ranchers like to find themselves in. There were problems with the cow that that force the rancher to make this effort. If you find that you have calf that is in need of a bottle, the newbie will die without milk, and then roll up your sleeves, mix up some milk, and place that nipple in its mouth. In a few days, you might just find that this calf punches hard for not getting its first milk.

Please, Will This Calf Nurse form a Nipple Already

Here we have a nice red heifer calf only eight days old. I know exactly how old this calf is, because I watch her being born. Her mother has passed away. The cow was sick and weak for two months right in the middle of winter. I found her unable to stand on her feet, just lying on her side not able to get up by herself. So I tailed the cow up, which means lifting up on her tail with both hands giving the cow a boost up. First on her back legs then the cow gets up on her front feet while I am still holding her tail.



The cow was heavy from being pregnant, and also weak from being sick, so I placed her in a pen by herself. Twice a day I would go and check on her, bring her feed and water, and tailing her on her feet. I was hoping that once this calf is born, that she will be able to get up on her own, get better, and raise her calf. The cow had no trouble having the calf.

First few days went well, cow got up, calf nursed its mother, but then the cow went down again. This time the cow would be unable to stand up any more, and passed away the next day.

Now with the mother gone, this just left the calf, me, and a bottle of milk replacer. The calf having nursed its mother for the first seven days of its life doesn’t want anything to do with me, or this different tasting new milk. So here I go, run the calf in the corner of the pen, stand over it, back its butt up against the fence, and stick the nipple of the bottle in her mouth. This heifer spits out the nipple and fights with the bottle, while I try my best to stay calm.

For twice a day, morning and evening , I go through this process, using half a bottle of milk replacer, mainly because its half the weight and easier to manage. I place the nipple in the calf’s mouth, let a some milk full the back of her mouth while gently hold her head up, then with the other hand I place my thumb on back of the calf’s tongue and make her swallow the milk. I am always very careful not to get my thumb in between her back teeth.

Wishing the whole time “Come on and nurse this bottle already!” for three days. Then on the mourning of the fourth day, I go out, back the calf in the corner of the pen, stand over it, and place the nipple in her mouth. The calf sucks the nipple of the bottle. I can’t believe it; finely this heifer is nursing the bottle. For the next few feedings, the calf strips off the nipple and I have to place it back in her mouth. Soon the calf is chasing me down, and I can’t get out of pen fast enough when the bottle is empty. The calf punches my legs, circling in front of me to stop me for more milk, just like I was her mother.

Hints for Working with Milk Replacer for Calves

Just a few helpful ideals that help make working with milk replacer for calves easier.

Tip: Cut the top of the milk replacer bag open with scissors or a utility knife.

Although a sack a milk replacer looks like any other feed sack, it’s not. The plastic liner inside the sack can make it much harder to open, just pulling the tab string like most feed sack doesn’t get the job done, you still have to get in the plastic liner. Cutting the top off about two inches down cuts threw the outside and the plastic at the same time while making opening the sack much easier.


Tip: Mixing the replacer straight in the bottle.

I know many manufactures of milk replacers suggest in their mixing directions to place the water in a pot, put in the replacer, and then heat to lukewarm while mixing with a whisk to get all the clumps out or to place warm water in a bowl and then whisk in the replacer. But mixing straight in the bottle can save a lot of time, just fill the bottle with warm water about 1/3 full, put in the milk replacer, shake the bottle holding your hand over the top opening, and then fill the rest of the bottle with warm water. I know there will still be a few clumps that didn’t mix in well, but still 95% of the milk replacer will.

Tip: Using a wagon to carry bottles and feed.

This is very usefully if you have many calves to feed, placing the bottles of milk replacer in a wagon with buckets of feed can save you extra trips. It is hard to carry three or more milk bottle with your arms, but pulling them in a wagon makes the job much easier.

Tip: Freezing unused milk replacer.

If you have unused milk replacer, you can place it in the freezer it can stay good for over a year. This can be useful for colostrum packets as well, if your cattle ranching you may never know when you might need a package of  colostrum replacement, keep a packet in the freezer, it will stay good until you need it.

Tip: In cold weather place the milk bottles in a bucket of  hot water.

Now this tip came from a website member form Wyoming, I have never tried this myself. South Texas never gets cold enough to use this tip, but it made a lot of sense to me. The trip out to the feed pen can take some time to get feed ready and placing the bottles in hot water can kept them warm.

Tip: Placing the bottle nipples in direct sunlight in between feedings.

This tip came from a member in Georgia. Basically it’s use the principle that sunlight is the best disinfectant. You have to place the nipple upside down where the inside can get the sunlight to help kill the germs. There is all kinds of disinfectant soaps  that do a good job, but placing them in sunlight when available is not a bad ideal.