When raising cattle, digestion problems sometimes occur. This is especially true for young animals. The fact is that the calf’s nutrition system is not yet as developed as in adults; therefore, disorders can be observed. Many farmers are interested in the question of what to do if the calf has constipation. In this situation, you need to know how to treat constipation in calves or cows, and also why such stagnation occurs.
Symptoms of calf constipation
- lethargy;
- drowsiness;
- the calf can lie all the time and prevent it from approaching;
- bloating;
- lack of feces or the release of deformed feces.
How to recognize constipation in young animals
First of all, you need to watch your herd every day, so you will know how the animals feel. If you notice that the first day the calf does not go to the toilet, then you need to find out the reasons and proceed to treatment.On the first day of stool retention, it is not always noticeable that this causes discomfort to young animals. You can notice the first symptoms after a day or two after a delay in bowel movement. In case of constipation in a milk calf, if it lasts more than a day, the animal can follow from corner to corner and touch the stomach with its hooves.
The calf can moo when urged to defecate. If you suspect constipation in calves, you need to invite a veterinarian for examination. Sometimes veterinarians feel the rectum in order to make sure if there is a plug from the feces or, possibly, the reason for the delay in the stool in another. Before the vet arrives, it is important to remember what the calf was eating these days. The main causes of stagnation of stool in young animals is the use of large root crops, which can create a cork. When giving root vegetables, they need to be peeled and chopped into small pieces.
Treatment of constipation in cattle
If constipation occurs in calves, its treatment should be carried out only by qualified by specialists. Regardless of what are the causes of constipation, you need to know that at birth, young animals should only be with their mother and they should not be torn off. If the calves and the female are separated early, the young can have digestion problems, since in the first months the calves feed exclusively on mother’s milk, large root crops simply do not digest in the fragile digestive system. What to do with constipation and what treatment?
You need to act based on the cause of constipation. If the problem is improper nutrition, it is necessary to create a balanced and nutritious diet, based on the age of the calf.
If the mother feeds the calf, colostrum should be useful and nutritious. Young animals should have enough breast milk. You can’t give sour and spoiled milk, calves can get stagnant from it.
You also need to monitor the daily food intake: if the animals do not have enough food, the calves can greedily swallow milk so that it just slips down stomach, not lingering in the body.
Dysfunction of the intestine of a bull is directly dependent on its psychological state. If young animals are early drained from their mother, then a stress barrier occurs, which in the future can lead to stool retention.
Prevention of constipation in calves
After about 1.5-2 months after birth, animals begin to consume fresh grass in small quantities. If this period occurs in spring or autumn, then you need to be very careful and make sure that young animals do not eat frozen grass, which can provoke bloating, constipation or diarrhea. As a preventive measure, do not give too cold or hot milk.
It is important to always ensure that there are clean drinking bowls in the barn water at room temperature. Water deficiency can lead to digestive upsets. Also, so that animals can not eat foreign objects, it is necessary to clean the room and not leave old bedding, rotten hay or work equipment.To prevent all kinds of digestive problems, you need to properly feed and care for newborn calves so that they do not have digestive disorders later on. Continuation of the article …
