Author Topic: Hunched up calf (Read 6927 times)

Haylo-peapod · « **on:** April 20, 2012, 11:52:16 am »

OK, so the initially happy calf born on Sunday is now worrying me.
For the past couple of days she has been standing all hunched up and looking very sorry for herself.
Initially I put it down to the incessant rain but today it is mostly dry with a bit of sunshine and she is still looking dull.

Any ideas on what the problem might be and what I should be doing? I feel completely out of my depth with it being my first calf.

sabrina · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2012, 12:16:17 pm »

Is she feeding OK. Not into cattle but I would check her temperature, maybe she has a chill due to all this wet weather. Rather than waiting my advice is call your vet better to be safe than lose her.

Haylo-peapod · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2012, 02:47:22 pm »

Well I've learnt a bit this afternoon.

A local farmer came round and confirmed that the calf hadn't suckled. I had assumed that since I had seen it poo on the first day, it was bright on the next couple of days and wasn't mooing that it must have been suckling. How wrong I was. At least I now know what to look for to check if a calf is suckling.

We've now managed to get Mum in the crush and hand strip her and the calf has had a good feed. We tried to get the calf onto the teat and after being completely clueless to start with she did show small signs of getting the idea of sucking on the teat. Hopefully she'll be strong enough later to make a more determined effort in the field. I'll give her a bottle until I know she's got the idea (assuming I can still persuade Mum back in the crush again).

So, hopefully disaster averted, albeit I am concerned that she missed out on the initial colustrum. I'm just amazed that a calf can survive for 5 days with no sustenance.

lill · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2012, 04:23:57 pm »

Hell, i'm surprised the wee calf lasted for 5 days without grub, but as you say you have learned for the next time

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** April 21, 2012, 03:52:02 am »

Glad you seem to be on the road to recovery with this calf. What were the tips your farmer friend gave you to check if it's suckled? BH watches anxiously until he's convinced the calf has sucked; if the cow is amenable or indoors, BH gets the calf suckling himself so he's certain.

You can use Thermovite or similar (we get one called Life-Gard, comes in handy squirtable syringes) to give the calf the nutrients and probiotics it needs in those first few hours. We use it when there is any room for doubt about the calf being able to get its colostrum in the first few hours.

For all but the hardiest breeds, BH brings cow and calf in if there'll be more than light showers when the calf is very young; they have little tolerance of being thoroughly wet through.

Haylo-peapod · « **Reply #5 on:** April 21, 2012, 10:53:55 am »

Thanks for the tips Sally.

The farmer could tell straight away from the teats that the calf hadn't suckled - they were pointing forward and very big/full. Other people had just said check to see if one teat looked cleaner than the others but I wasn't sure if this could be a sure way of knowing since we had also been told that calves may only suckle twice a day and therefore if the Mum lays in mud (it's muddy around the feeder) the teat could soon get muddy again.

With it being our first Highand calf we were very nervous about getting too close but the farmer that came yesterday just went straigt up to the calf and fortnately Mum was pretty good. This gave us a bit more confidence about getting involved in the future - albeit we will still be very cautious.

I've managed to give the calf another bottle this morning and Mum was as good as gold, so fingers crossed things will progress in the right direction.

I'm still bemused that the calf seemed so good in the first few days, didn't moo for milk and even did a poo despite not having suckled - all a bit different from sheep.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #6 on:** April 21, 2012, 11:03:20 am »

Quote from: Haylo-peapod on April 21, 2012, 10:53:55 am

I'm still bemused that the calf seemed so good in the first few days, didn't moo for milk and even did a poo despite not having suckled - all a bit different from sheep.

I don't know much about cows, but with human babies their system is still full of nutrients from mum when they are born and it can take a couple of days for that to clear out (in the form of meconium - black gooey stuff) so maybe that's why the calf seemed okay ?
Either way, glad it and mum are now doing okay

Any chance of some photo's ? Especially since it's gonna look like a teddy bear

I love Highlanders

Karen

dannidub2000 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2012, 08:40:53 pm »

I can guess from my experience the calf had suckled off mum as that calf wouldnt have survived, what may then have happened is mums proper milk came down and she may have become uncomfortable as we also do around the 4th day and she wouldnt let the calf suck?? i also had a calf that couldnt suck as mums teats were so hard when her milk changed and as you did I found a hunched hungry calf inwhich I got mum in the crush twice a day with feed and milked 2 litres out and fed calf untill mum was happy and felt comfy again and let calf suckle.