show steer condition

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kbg4784

New member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
2
Hi, Could use some input. My son's show steer has had diarrhea for the last couple of months. He was extremely nervous so at first we thought he was just runny from being so nervous all the time. He would eat good enough, but wasn't interested and didn't drink much but did eat hay really good. We had his manure tested with great results. He wasn't running a fever. We talked to everyone we could for advice and followed their suggestions for trying to stop the diarrhea. The Vet put him on a mild feed mixture he mixed for him, thinking the feed we were using was burning his stomach, we used products that everyone  else had wonderful results with, but none of it worked. It has been extremely frustrating. We had the Vet come back. We are testing his manure again, his temperature was slightly elevated so he treated him with some meds, we put him on dry hay and kept him in the barn to keep him off pasture over the weekend. Glad to say that today, for the first time, his manure is a much better consistency, he has even calmed down, wasn't jumpy at all, we fed him grain tonight and he was ready to eat! Really big improvement. Finally. But Due to this run of diarrhea, he has not gained weight. Do any of you have any suggestions of supplements we should add to his feed to help get him back on track for gaining weight, and regaining muscle tone? Thanks for any suggestions!
 

Ftfarms

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Messages
10
A friend of mine had the same issue. They pulled there's off feed for a week and put the calf on straight hay. Maybe try just hay for a few days to see if there is any difference?
 

kbg4784

New member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
2
My son has a show steer that in the 10 years of him showing cattle, has been the hardest steer he has ever had to work with. He doesn't eat well, so he doesn't gain weight, he is nervous most of the time, stands to the side always looking around, has had runny manure most of the time, he stands with his butt backed into the corner of his pen and won't even attempt to eat if anyone is in the barn. He was expensive to begin with, but we have spent so much money, time and effort on this steer. We have had the Vet here numerous times, manure testing, meds, change of diet, even a bland mixture created by the Vet, which he didn't eat well either. He was being kept in a cool room with another steer, would never lay down and would jump every time we opened the door. We finally just put him under fans in his own pen in the barn. He will now at least lay down and isn't quite as jumpy as before. He used to kick us, we never knew why or when this would happen. The Vet thought maybe he had eaten a piece of metal so he put a magnet in him. Since then he has only kicked once. Not sure if that is coincidence or if he did have something poking him making him kick. We have added Corn Oil to his feed and that has peaked his interest but he is still not going after it like the other steers at feeding. We have also been feeding him dry hay which he eats well and has helped with his loose manure. However when he gets nervous and jumpy, his manure becomes runny again. He has been wormed on a regular basis, we have given him a paste to stimulate his eating desire, and because he has run a fever on several occasions, he has been given shots of medication. Funny, as jumpy as he is over nothing, he stands still when he is treated or given shots. Go figure! This steer is handled 2-3 times a day, on halter, rinsed, combed, blown dry and walked. After months of being handled this much, he should be settled down. He has been the biggest puzzle and it has sucked the fun out of his project as well as being highly disappointing. We have 20 days till the State Fair. At this rate he is not even going to be competitive in a lightweight class. Does anyone have ANY suggestions of something else we can try?
 
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