What to add to firm up loose stools

[dutch pride]

Our calves have loose stools which makes them very messy and hard to keep clean. It is not scours, just not a firm as I would like. We are feeding cracked corn with some oats and a protein pellet. Would adding more oats help? Or is there something else that would be economical to add that won't sacrifice performance. They are getting some grass hay as well.

DLZ

 

[OH Breeder]

little beet pulp helps and makes sure you keep them up on probiotics.

 

[Show Steaks]

Sounds like a hot(high energy) ration.. dry hay or beet pulp.. something with plenty of fiber  and probiotics... as ohbreeder had said

 

[Gary]

How much protein ?

 

[simtal]

cottonseed hulls will make em $#% a brick

 

[TMJ Show Cattle]

Have you changed rations lately? If you have gone from a grower ration to a hotter finishing feed,this will happen.If this is the case,if the stool is like pancake batter,feed lots of good grass hay.Are they snotty at the nose or droopy eared? There is a small thin line from being ok to being or gettin sick,especially with sudden changes in the weather.

 

[chambero]

Oats have a lot of protein and fat and more of them would likely only make it worse.  They need fiber and the sources already mentioned are the best - beet pulp, cottonseed hulls, and low protein hay (i.e. what we call prairie hay).  My first picks would be beet pulp AND hay.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

When I worked in Montana we fed spelts - they would tighten one up to the point of being a problem if you didn't watch what you were doing. I don't know the availability of them where you are and haven't seen, fed or even thought about them until now. RW

 

[dutch pride]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I have been feeding more longstem grass hay and will add some beetpulp to our next batch of feed to see how that goes. Thanks again.

DLZ

 

[mikey]

  Is it better to wet,soak or feed the beet pulp dry? Would johnson grass hay be alright.  Thanks

 

[CJC]

Probais and / or worm them.