Cow Supplies: 7 Things About Feeding Electrolytes

If you are looking to shop for cow supplies, click here.  If you are looking for help with feeding electrolytes, read on.

Trying to get a calf to recover from scours is a risky business, and providing it electrolytes with the proper cow supplies should be one of your first steps to get it back on its feet.  In some cases your efforts will be lost, but in others you’ll have spent just a few dollars on cow supplies to save a calf that will someday be your income.  Since electrolytes are vital to putting a calf on the road to recovery, it’s essential to know the basics about them.  Many people don’t feed enough electrolytes, or feed too much, mix electrolytes with other cow supplies, or are feeding an inadequate electrolyte.  Check out this information to make sure you’re electrolyte program is up to par:

1. Dehydration – This is a symptom that must be corrected immediately, and electrolyte cow supplies will help.  They are made to replace the lost water and minerals due to scours.  There are four degrees of dehydration which you should be aware of- slight, mild, moderate, and extreme. 
   Slight – (5-6% dehydrated) no clinical signs
   Mild – (6-8%)sunken eyes, dry mouth, and decreased skin turgor (when the skin of the cow is pulled up for a few seconds and does not return to it’s original state)
   Moderate – (8-10%)loss of body weight, eyes are even more sunken in, dry mouth, increase of pulse
   Extreme – (10-14%)cow is unresponsive or distraught, body is cool to the touch, poor pulse
     
2. Beware of Supplements – Not all electrolytes are made specifically for scouring calves.  Some electrolyte cow supplies are used as a supplement in times of stress on the cow, and do not have adequate amounts of nutrients to fully rehydrate.  Make sure your electrolyte is not a supplement by checking the label and evaluating the ingredients and amounts of ingredients.  
    
3. Quality of Electrolyte- You can evaluate the quality of your electrolyte by using the Strong Ion Difference (SID).  [Na + K] – [Cl] = ___ mEq/L.  An optimal SID will be from 50 to 80 mEq/L.
       
4. Ingredients- When it comes to choosing the right cow supplies, a good electrolyte should contain Sodium (70-120 mEq/L), Chloride (40-80 mEq/L), Potassium (10-20 mEq/L), Alkalinizing agent (40-80 mEq/L), Dextrose and Glycine.  If your current electrolyte does not meet the levels above it might be time to take a look at other options from your cow supplies distributor.
    
5. Feeding Amount- Dehydration level will determine how much electrolyte should be fed to a scouring cow.  If a calf weighs 90 pounds, or 41 kilograms, and is about 10% dehydrated, it has already lost 4.1 L of liquid (41 kg x 0.10 = 4.1 L).  This means the cow needs to have an additional 4.1 L of liquid WITH its normal liquid consumption.  So if the calf normally gets 3 L of liquid, it would need 4.1 L + 3 L = 7.1 L to return to full hydration.
     
6. Don’t Mix- A mistake many producers make is adding electrolyte to the liquids a calf is already receiving.  The important thing here is that they receive more liquid than they were already getting to help replenish.  Thus, they need to receive their normal liquid plus the electrolyte liquid.
    
7. Feeding Time- Calves should be fed electrolyte after receiving their normal liquid feeding whether it’s milk replacer or whole milk.  For an AM/PM feeding schedule, feeding electrolyte at Noon would be best.  If another feeding is necessary, feed a few hours after the normal PM feeding. 

Are you currently mixing your electrolyte with the calf’s normal liquid milk? 

If so, it’s time to look at your electrolyte program.  Feeding electrolytes in addition to the cow’s normal liquid milk (not mixed) is crucial.  Mixing the two cow supplies will waste time, money and labor.  For example, if you’re extremely thirsty you might drink two cups of water instead of one to satisfy your thirst.  Just adding a packet of drink mix to one glass of water is not going to help satisfy that thirst- you’ll still need more water to fulfill your needs.  Same goes for calves- they need even more liquid than normal to get them hydrated and back on their feet.  So do your calves a favor and make sure the electrolyte you’re feeding is up to par, and is being fed correctly.  Also, make sure you have enough electrolytes on hand from your cow supplies dealer.

Need cow supplies for dehydration?

At ANIMART, we offer a full selection of electrolyte cow supplies to keep your calves hydrated and healthy. Get your calves on the road to recovery with a great selection of cow supplies, including electrolytes from ANIMART.

Contact us for your cow supplies or for additional assistance at at 800-255-1181.