Calf with Watery Poop

Calf scours that awful nasty watery poop that all too many calves get. One of the leading causes of death in calves under 30 days old.

Causes

Bacteria infection like E coli
Virus infection like Rotovirus

Myths

Decreasing the amount of milk replacer powder when mixing a bottle decrease the chance of scours.

Allowing the calf to eat hay in the first 30 days increases scours.

Bottle feeding plain water to a calf after a milk replacer feeding will help prevent scours.

Feeding plain water to a scouring calf helps with dehydration.

Not only are these not true but can actually help to promote scours.

Treatment

There are hundreds of products on the market for treating calves with watery poop. Mainly because scours is so hard to cure. The success of treatment depends on amount of damage the calf has in the gut. Once a major amount of scar tissue develops the gut it just can not  absorb enough nutrition for the calf.

I have had success with the following. It first starts with giving the calf antibiotics and then feeding a alternative to milk or milk replacer for two days while not allowing the calf any water.

Click here for a link to my calf raising guidelines for exactly how I treat a calf with watery poop or scours. 

Related Post:

Bottle feeding calves milk replacer 

Why is my calf pooping blood

My bottle calf is pooping blood

Having a calf that is spotting blood or having blood in the stool or poop is common. Does not mean that you should not be concerned.

What is causing the bloody poop in the calf

It has damage in the lower intestines by either parasites or bacteria. Understanding which one is causing the problem is important to how you would want to treat the calf and repair the intestines.

Age of calf as a determining factor

Under calves under 250 pounds are less likely to have coccidia (parasites) the blood in the poop is caused by bacteria. 

In newborn to under three weeks old, it will be caused by bacteria infection damage.

Eight to nine months old the calf most likely has bloody discharge from coccidia. 

Treatment of bloody poop in calves 

For older calves with coccidia there is a product called Corid that is very effective in treatment.

For those calves under three weeks old a simple over the counter antibiotic will restore the intestines by killing the bacteria. 

For calves older than three weeks with bacteria infection especially with scours, I have found using antibiotics with scour treatment to be effective in treating the calves.

Click Here for my Guidelines for Raising Calves with my Scour Treatment included 

Related Post:

Why does my calf's poop stink really bad

Calf with watery poop

How often should I bottle a calf