Help! Calf Down!

[cjc]

Yes thank god for that! She's a big girl we are very lucky no one got hurt. The friend came over and got her in the squeeze. Every true cattle rancher (I am not which is why I say that I'm way too soft) has told me to get rid of Mama or I am going to get hurt. I know its inevitable in this but I'm saddened for them. We have had her for about a year.

We are seeing improvement in the calf now but he is my baby to raise now. Farm life just got a little bit more complicated for us!

 

[samssimonsays]

I completely understand where you are coming from. The decisions are so hard sometimes. But hopefully there will be a happy ending with the little guy pulling through!

 

[TAH]

Yes it seems she is to wild to tame down. I'am sorry it had to turn out like this for you.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Did anybody else notice the abnormal shape of this calf's head or is it just me? Because that, right there, is the big red flag that something is wrong, and his dam knows about it too. With a dome-shaped head like that (neuropathic hydrocephalus or "water head"), he's going to be a dummy calf for the rest of his life, and because he's already affected in the brain and showing this with the weakness in the limbs and overall depression, among other symptoms. You need to look at this link: http://calfology.com/library/wiki/neuropathic-hydrocephalus-nh-quotwater-headquot and this: http://redangus.org/genetics/dna-tools/defects/NH He didn't get severely affected, but it is bad enough that he's not going to be a strong healthy calf.

I'm sorry to say this but I don't believe there is anyway that you can save this calf. He may need to be euthanized for his own good, especially if his condition is going to worsen and he's going to start having seizures and weakening even more in the coming days or weeks.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Please, too, talk to a vet who knows more about this than I do and can give you guidance on what's best to do with this calf. Pulling a couple of links off the internet isn't going to do much to help you, not like an experienced LAV (large animal vet) can.

 

[Pamela]

I too, suspect the calf is 'off'. The way he is holding his head indicates an issue to me.

 

[TAH]

Glad to here is should live. He looks better in this pic than the other. Are your plans for mom the same?

 

[cjc]

Yes mama will be slaughtered at the farm Wednesday. Our transporter says he doesn't want to load her alive sadly.

Once mama is gone we plan to bond the calf with our Hereford cow big mama. She's big mama for a reason. She's dry right now as we just weaned her calf but she will provide this calf with some nurture. I will raise him and bring him into the barn at night until he is strong but I think it's good for him to get some big mama lovin

 

[TAH]

I am sorry about your mama cow.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry you have to kill the mom, but she sounded really unstable and perhaps dangerous. I'm really glad that the calf is making a comeback! That's great news. That's really weird that 3 nipples had no orifice... never heard of that before... That had to be painful for mom being full of milk and no where for it to go... Could that have had something to do with her behavior maybe? Regardless, would you really pay to keep a cow with only one working nipple? Anyway, looking forward hopefully to future good new updates.