Dead Calves, HELP.

[SHAGGY]

I dont know what the deal is i dont know whether its coincidence or what but here is a little background. We have about ten calves or so on the ground and they are all fine except our ET calves. 3 of our 4 embryo calves have been fine one day and dead the next. Granted they have been HUGE calves (130-140lbs) but the cows had them fine, they were nursing fine, they were a lil lethargic but fine, Then bam, they are dead. Any ideas on why its just the ET calve dying? (The donor cow also had a calf and its fine.)  Thanks for any info guys and gals.

 

[Jenny]

If I was you I would take them to the vet and get them posted.

 

[PowersShowStock]

I had 2 calves this morning over a week and half old both laying nose to tail by eachother dead.  Not in the mud, not stepped on, rain, but I never heard any lightning.  Don't know what the hell happened.

 

[willow]

Evertime I hear about calves dying suddenly and with seemingly little warning I think of  C & D/Overeating Disease??

 

[PowersShowStock]

What is that?

 

[Cowboy]

I am only going to post ONE MORE TIME on this subject, as I have talked about for years and years.

Clostridium Perfringens types C and D promarily, although there are others, is DEADLY

It is in the ground every where, it is a bug in laymen terms that will be injested, then will start to devoure the lining of the stomach, and most importantly -- the small intestine. They will turn bright red in there, and will have bloody stools. By that time, it is almost always fatal.

Signs are discrete to say the least. One minute they are fine, the next you will see then possibly laying down and geting up alot, kicking at thier belly. Will also ave a distended abdomal from fluid retention in the gut.

Prevention -- administer AT BIRTH a 2ml dose of Alpha 7, booster again at 30 days with VISION 7 or 8.

Treatment -- immediately at first sign of distress give at least 20 ml orally of C-D anti-toxin (Liquid) and another 20 sub-q in two places.

Always treat for illness at the same time, as the stress will usually set them off for respiratory problems!


That is it in a nut shell -- good luck to all !!

Tery

 

[firesweepranch]

We lost an 11 day old calf Tuesday, no apparent reason. We took her to the vet to have a necropsy done, no apparent cause of death. Did cultures (no sign of scours), vet was very concerned about what Tery mentioned; clostridium (we found her bloated but dead less than 8 hours, and it is cold out here still). All came back negative! One strain of e-coli, but it was suseptable to three different types of antibiotics so he said it was not to worry about. I had another calf, same age, acting lethargic so we put him on meds and drenched with electrolights. He came out fine. We are still not sure why the calf died, I put a bale of hay out the night before so I wonder if she did get steped on (maybe the head so the vet could not tell?). I found her about 5 feet from the bale...
Our good cow calved, twins (our first set), so we fostered one of the twins (heifer) on the cow (first calf heifer) that lost the baby. We will see how that goes!
I suggest a necropsy!

 

[LIMO]

I agree with Cowboy.    I give my cows a vaccine for Clostridium Perfringens types C and D  about 4 weeks prior to calving and give to calves at 3-4 weeks of age.    I also give calves the Calf Guard vaccine as well as a new respiraitory vaccine  called Inforce 3 at birth.  I think this has helped my calves immune system from the start.    With our weather down here, its 80 one day and 25 the next, everything helps.

 

[muleman]

I had the same thing happen 5 years ago. Called Cowboy Terry and I wouldn't even know him if he walked by me on the street but he has helped me more than anyone else in this matter including 3 different vets. I give my calves a shot of Alpha 7 subQ and 10 mls of C&D in the mouth asap. Someday I will get up north to thankyou in person, thanks again Terry.

 

[Joe Boy]

Cowboy is correct.  I have had personal experience.  The strain of a big calf being born adds to the problem and makes for a quicker execution of the disease.  Wet weather.  Any stress.  All magnify the problem and I think tetanus can be a problem too with wet ground and a new naval.

 

[Lakeshore Show Cattle]

It is in the ground every where, it is a bug in laymen terms that will be injested, then will start to devoure the lining of the stomach, and most importantly --

When you say every where do you literally mean every where in the US or an specific location?

 

[JTM]

Not disputing what Cowboy said but wanted to bring up maybe the obvious. Did the calves die one day after birth? If so, maybe the trauma on the brain, lungs, and other internal organs from the difficult birth could have caused death. Just a thought.

 

[CAB]

Totally agree with Terry's info for the colstridiums, but don't think that the colstridiums would be so selective as to just pick on the ET calves. Any thoughts as to what's going on there?