How to Tube Feed a Sick Calf

[@toddchester5966]

Helpful tip to those new or scared to try. Insert the tube only, without the container attached to it, I recommend this type. Once you have your tube inserted, put your ear to the tube, if you can hear the calf breathing, you’re in the windpipe. Just a tip my grandpa showed me when I was young.

[@tonywright560]

The vet who taught me to tube feed told me exactly the same thing. Also, as mentioned in the video, if you can feel the bulb moving down the left side and the calf is swallowing it, you can be pretty sure you've inserted it properly. It just slides in with no pressure needed. Still scary for the inexperienced. I'm one of them.

[@cheyennefite5408]

Ty I am scared

[@toddchester5966]

@@cheyennefite5408 you’ll do fine. Esophagus is on the left, windpipe is on the right. Come in from the right side of the calf’s mouth aiming towards the back left. You should be able to feel him swallow it.

[@daleadkins2448]

That was the best tutorial I've seen on youtube on tube feeding. Thank you..

[@fernwanderlust3866]

I’m a NICU nurse and find this fascinating. My brother is a dairy farmer. Just had a sweet baby that was sick, not eating and didn’t make it, I threatened her with a tube, but had no idea how to do it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Saving this for later.

[@tonywright560]

Just had to do this again after not having to do it for about 10 years. Your video was a huge help. I hope our calf comes good. She started drinking milk replacer from a bucket for a couple of days then just refused. I think it was dehydration. Many thanks for the help! It's like getting a kindly neighbour in, which is what I did the last time we had to tube feed. In that case, the calf still had his mother and she came good and took over the feeding. This time we have an orphan.

[@Moridin101]

It just occurred to me that after years of watching videos about raising farm animals, I can't remember anyone actually explaining what scours was. Sounds like stress-induced cholera. Thanks for teaching me something today!

[@samanthachester9417]

What a great video. I have been feeding up to 300 calves twice yearly for a couple of years now and I still get nervous when I have to tube feed. Your video just confirmed and reassured me that my knowledge is sound. I learnt something new too, never thought about bending the tube before, thank you, very informative, your a natural teacher. 👍

[@betlea8070]

Beautifully done and extremely informative!

[@brianvanat4433]

Thank you for doing the video and helping folks!

[@ShaniaRanae]

This video is so informative!! I'm about to tube feed my first brahma calf and I'm so nervous! Your video definitely calmed my nerves and makes me feel more confident in doing so! Thank you SOOOOO much!!!!

[@farmingwiththebells9125]

Thank you!! Brahma calves are some of my favorite. Best of luck!!!

[@rockabye_baby187]

It's so cool how you can break down their behaviors and frequency of bellowing

[@arosswelding]

Fantastic video! Thank you for sharing this. It was very very very helpful!

[@michellesfarmstead5752]

This helped me so much! Id love more videos!

[@giantscr4531]

Great video. Thanks from Ireland.

[@cheyennefite5408]

Ty our first time with calves we rescued them and were having issues with the two males ty for your video

[@kyliemcdonald-qu9mp]

Thanks man we just got a sick potty and were going to tube feed it now

[@jelapavlin]

Thanks for the instructions

[@danielcollins7588]

Calves also like berry caffine shots, the little bottles ones.😊😊😊😊😊

[@mwekwasemonitor6440]

Thanks for the leason

[@earlclaborn]

I have had to do this a few times. Nice job.

[@Littlebitfunny7]

Thank you!!

[@sclivestock5943]

Excellent job on the explanation. Thanks

[@danielcollins7588]

Your patient is just totally overwhelmed , And just happy as shit. Still good video, to save the cute sick calf, is mommy watching you?😊😊😊

[@asamcdaniel5167]

Thank you sir. I watch it every time I gotta tube a calf. Taking care of the calves ain’t my main job it’s another fellas. He’s not keeping up with the work flow and honestly I don’t think he cares about the well-being of the calves and animals. So I’m stepping in. I do have a question for you if you have a minute. I’m working on a 400+ cow “family” dairy. Lots of arguing about who knows what, and the way things should be done. This winter we have had A LOT of sick calves. Losing a lot of calves. We’ve been getting lots of pneumonia and them having the shits, or just being out right sick. Other times I swear they seem fine and healthy and when I come out in the morning they are either sick or just dead. I just make sure to clean their pens more frequently using lots of lime and virkron S. Also treatment is a problem. No one is on the same page when it comes to medicine. Well anyway sorry for the long comment, I’m kinda new to this and I want to do all I can do to make sure the animals under my care are healthy and happy as they can be. Any information or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you sir for your time. If you’d like you can email me at [e-mail] thanks again!

[@farmingwiththebells9125]

Are the calves in a pen together or in single pens. Sorry for the late response. I didn’t realize the video was being watch so much and now I’m trying to play catch-up. We try to keep them single until we get them straight. That way we can really watch them. We do go in spurts of sickness and have to rely on excenel. And lots of fluids!

[@codysipes8008]

Great video! You guys should relaunch the channel

[@ttribetribe6807]

Thank you.

[@josephsmith4143]

Good informative video.

[@Brasky-1]

Great Video Thank you

[@fatandhappyfarm3471]

Thank you for the video it was very helpful.

[@Amber-p1l]

Can you do this to a new calf you get from an auction that scours. Is there a minimum age?

[@Sidhu22322]

Good information

[@one-eyejawa3128]

Tube fed my first calf this morning after watching this video. Great information and very helpful. Do you ever have problems with them forcing the milk back through the tube when you feed?

[@farmingwiththebells9125]

Sorry for the late response. A lot of the times if they are forcing fluids back up the tube is in to far. Try moving the tube up and sometimes down just a little and it should start flowing agin.

[@one-eyejawa3128]

@@farmingwiththebells9125 thanks for the reply. Unfortunately the calf didn’t make it. Tube fed him for about two weeks and he never developed a suck response.

[@farmingwiththebells9125]

@@one-eyejawa3128 hate to hear that. We have a couple every now and then do the same. It just doesn’t matter what you do. We started using excenel on ones that get sick and it has worked really well for us. If you try another one you might talk to a vet and see about excenel prescription.

[@srad98ful]

Great video

[@scottieeasley4907]

U should KEEP MAKING VIDEOS

[@sayno2me]

Thank you so much !!!

[@brittanyreed3179]

I am babysitting a calf for a friend who is not doing so hot. I’m a vet tech of the equine sort so tubing a calf is not on my day to day. Thanks for this!

[@daleadkins2448]

Any chance you can post a link to the bottle you used? TSC only has the bag type and they are a pain in the but.

[@farmingwiththebells9125]

Try searching oral calf feeder and it should pull up several options. I prefer the soft plastic one like in the video. I am not a fan of the bags either. I buy mine from a local feed store. Next time I am there I will try to see the brand name of the one I use.

[@mduduzigumede655]

Nice one 🤙

[@tommyknockerparanormalinc]

Thankyou so much. I am hoping to save my two bulls that I brought home because the farmer was going to kill them because they had scours. They both stopped eating yesterday.

[@alexisclanton9234]

I’m getting a baby calf soon my very first one... will it be okay if I build a barn and have hay and everything in it and let it sleep there? Idk. How long and when should I let it outside to roam or let it roam anytime ?

[@arthurmprganwifoforlife4501]

One tip DON'T PUT A HORSE COW SHEEP GOAT IN A PASTER WHEN IT'S WRT OR RAINS

[@farmingwiththebells9125]

Sorry for just getting back to reply. If the calf is health I would let it out daily. In the event of severe weather changes keep it warm and dry to minimize sickness. The biggest thing to new calves is keeping their area clean and dry. So the more a calf can get out and roam the better. After a couple days I would allow the calf to come and go from barn as it chooses. Unless it becomes ill.

[@chantzeborn9804]

Did that calf survive

[@johnyonker8092]

What temperature do you feed the electrolytes at?

[@farmingwiththebells9125]

Try to keep the temperature around the Calfs normal body temperature. Around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

[@arkoaauf4225]

Update the tube feeds calf

[@sayno2me]

❤👍

[@lindawhobrey3452]

Have killed a calf by doing Esophagus tube wrong, so thanks.

[@albaronalbaron2496]

It is possible that the phone number to speak with you I have questions

[@arthurmprganwifoforlife4501]

Poor guy

[@aphmxeditsz1]

That is abuse