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 

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Body temperature of a calf

Posted group question:

"I've got a 5 week old bottle calf that has been strong, hungry and good. Tonight I checked her temperature and it read 104.5 (this morning it was 101.5) Her breathing is just a little labored and she coughs once in a while. Her temp has fluctuated a bit in the past couple weeks but never quite this high. She is bright eyed, her appetite is still good, manure is solid, she is on two feedings of milk replacer a day and I gave her a bottle of electrolytes tonight. We gave her two Sulfa boluses and 1 cc of banamine, plus some Probios. Do you have any other suggestions for me? I've lost several calves and would like to do WHATEVER I can to save this one. I read so many different things about the right medication and what to do... can anyone help me here?"

Best response: 

"I always use Draxxin one shot and things usually clear right up. I would wait a couple of days to see if the sulfur pills do the job but if things start going down hill go ahead and try something different. Holstein calves can go down hill fast with pneumonia. La 200 is another good antibiotic which will stay in the calf's system for 72 hours. Keep giving probios to restore the good bacteria from the antibiotics your using."

Normal range of body temperature of a calf is 101 to 102.5

For more information about the variation of body temperature of a calf you can use the following link: Calf Notes Body Temperature of a Calf 

 

Cow foaming at the mouth

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Here is one of the questions I received by email today. I thought it was interesting enough to share in a blog post about a cow foaming at the mouth. It is not something you see everyday, but is not uncommon.

Message:

Hello,
This really isn't about a calf, but it's still a question I wish to have answered. To begin, I check my herd (they are calving) twice a day, morning and evenings and do round checks to ensure the entire herd is there, and all is well. Last night I did the same, counted every one and all was fine, this morning I went out to the herd and found one of my cows dead, frosted over, but she was highly foamed over at the mouth and I'm wondering as to what may be her cause of death? As well as if it could affect the rest of my herd? Much thanks if you can be of any help. Have a nice day

Reply:


There are several reasons a cow would be foaming at the mouth and does not have to be an indication of the cow being ill. When calves nurse they will foam from the mouth wither on a cow or by hand. It aids in digestion. When I feed my herds range meal cakes (cubes) they will start to foam at the mouth. Some will slobber a mouth full of foam down their sides as they lick themselves waiting for me to put the range cubes out.

Now there are several reasons that a cow foaming at the mouth will indicate a problem or illness.

If a cow is suffering from wooden tongue (fungus making the tongue hard as wood) she will have excessive foaming or slobbering from the mouth. Not the case here. Wooden tongue takes along time to kill the cow, basically she starves to death by not being able to pull grass or hay in her mouth with her tongue.

If a cow is overheated, Not likely. The question stated she was frosted over.

If a cow has fever, it can cause her to foam at the mouth. She will not die overnight from fever, but it could be possible she had fever which would suggest infection.

The cow could have bloated. The bloat would have killed her overnight, but I think you have noticed.

If the cow choked, she would have foamed at the mouth. If the blockage was down the wind pipe, then she would have just foamed at the mouth and died showing no other signs.

Now there are infections that bloom up in less than a hour. If bacteria get in the lungs, heart, or brain and blooms, it can kill a cow  in 30 minutes. Blackleg. The blackleg bacteria can happen anywhere in the body. It is known as blackleg because that was the easiest way to tell. One leg will swell up and a calf or cow will be dead in few hours or longer. If the blackleg infection was inside, you wouldn't noticed any swelling.

Vaccines are not 100% but if you are not already vaccinating for blackleg you should.

I would say the cow either choked or had blackleg (or a similar bacteria). If you found the cow sitting up with it’s legs under it, then chances are it choked. If her legs where straight out then it could be either.

Things to look for when purchasing a calf

The email inbox seen a lot of activity last week about cattle and calf questions, but there was one that stood out that I wanted to share.

“I have a question?  What are the things you need to look for when purchasing a calf.  I bought one last year and I believe that it did not get the what he needed. I never owned cattle and I would like to start.”

It doesn’t matter wither I’m purchasing a calf directly from a dairyman, rancher, or livestock auction there are some things I pay attention to. It makes it a little easier when buying directly from the owner because you can ask questions, but observing the calf provides a huge amount of information as well.

The first thing I pay attention to is the breed of the calf. It really doesn’t matter to me what breed the calf is with the exception of a few I stay away from.

I avoid Jersey bulls or steers.Although they take to bottle feeding extremely well, many people do stay away because they can be a handful to handle. I don’t know if I would say they have an aggressive behavior, but they are different than other breeds. As they grow, you need to be aware of them at all times when your around them.

I also avoid Longhorn steers because they have a lower resell value. All the steers I raise are resold somewhere after they have reached about 600 pounds. Longhorns sell cheaper and it takes longer to get the weight on them making it harder to see a return.
 
Know Longhorn heifers is a different story, well it has to be the right Longhorn heifer. The other thing I look for is the general condition and health of the calf. Not that I will not purchase  a sick calf, but it will affect the amount I’m willing to pay.

I not going pay top dollar for a calf that has something wrong with them.  I have been doing this long enough to spot the problems almost immediately. Someone that is new to purchasing calves things do move quickly in a sell ring. 

I always show up early and look them over as best as I can. Sometimes they may be laying down, but you can still get a good ideal of the overall condition. Once in the ring they will be moving around and you get a better judge of the calf.

I start looking the calf over at the nose. If there is any snot or mucus coming from the nostrils then I am not going to be interested. Then I want to take a good look at the eyes.

If the calf’s has one or two eyes that are cloudy or milky looking, then the calf is either has an infection or it could possible be permanently blind. I look to see if the calf has clear eyes and looking around making eye contact with objects. If the calf’s eyes are clear but it is just looking at the ground or stairs off in space or isn’t looking around, then I am not interested in the calf. Next I look at the calf’s ears.

If one of the ears on the calf is drooping, there is good chance it has an ear infection. If both ears on the calf are drooping straight down, then it could be weak or running fever, but is ill. I want a calf with ears straight out or up with some movement.

I want the calf to have a straight back. If it is hunched/bowed up or has a sway then the calf is sick.
The calf’s tail must be dry. When a calf has a wet tail then it has been scouring and I don’t need a calf that is already scouring from the start. If it has dry poop on the tail that’s Ok or fresh poop. I just don’t want the tail to be wet.

I also pay close attention to the way they’re acting on their feet. If their hooves are folding under when their walking or causing them trouble to stand, I’m going to be cautious about purchasing the calf. If the calf’s hooves are folding under on the back legs, I will not buy the calf. This is called buckling and if the calf is doing this once it falls or lies down it won’t be ably to get up.

Then take a look at the calves navel next. I am looking for a calf with a normal size navel. If the calf’s navel looks puffy, swollen, or enlarged then this calf has a ruptured navel. They’ll be fine with it but resale value is extremely low. 

Ideally I want a calf with straight back, clear eyes, no snot, a dry tail, and standing on it’s hooves well.
 
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