baby calf walking on first joint

[DEF]

baby  calf  walking  on first  joint  of  there front  legs  is  it  genetic  or  from  being  in the cow in a  bad  position?

 

[oakie]

genetic, we bought a neighbors bull who had good legs, and the first time ever half the calves were born walking on their knees (this is just a herd of 50 head, but the other herds didn't do it). Some straightened out within a few days, others weeks. They were good terminal animals but we never kept any. We didn't do anything to treat it, it fixed itself and next spring the bull went on the truck. It was a simmental bull if that matters.

 

[DEF]

first  time  with this problem, it is a hereford bull on straight angus  cows  and same thing about half of the calves so far walking on there first joint one straighten  but he is now post legged in his front end.

 

[oakie]

I would do what we did, sell the bull and all the heifers. They were some really nice heifers too. Sorry about the misfortune, it really sucks

 

[lowann]

We had that happen several years ago. Three calves out of the registered Simmi bull (clean up bull) Two came out of it on their own.  One we put PVC casts on for three weeks. You have to be VERY carefull doing this, changing the padding in the casts every day, or they will get sore spots. You have to make sure it isn't too tight, or you will have big problems with circulation. He came out of it after three weeks, and did just fine. All sold to market, including the bull.
Never had a problem again after that episode.

 

[ATM OH]

Have had this happen with calves out of a Simmental herd bull we used in the early 90's.  Also had it happen from an AI Simmental bull called Red Blaze in the mid 90's.  Always thought it was some sort of Simmental defect?

 

[DEF]

thanks  for the inputs,  has anyone  had it happen  in other  breeds? we  were thinking  of getting a simmy bull but now i don't  know

 

[Dyer Show cattle]

First off does the calf have a high BW like 90+ lbs. If so I have seen this in about every breed out there. High BW calves joints are sometimes underdeveloped and they just dont have the strength to stand on their hooves. Also with bigger BW calves there is a lot more strain on them during birth making them weak for the first few days. So if it was a long labor and a big calf I would not worry about it, bottle feed the calf or stand him up to nurse and within a couple days they usually come right around. Now if it was a small calf I would look on the genetic side a little more.

 

[DEF]

they are smaller calves  about  70 lbs

 

[lowann]

Have had this happen with calves out of a Simmental herd bull we used in the early 90's.  Also had it happen from an AI Simmental bull called Red Blaze in the mid 90's.  Always thought it was some sort of Simmental defect?

Very possible.

 

[oakie]

our bull was a larger more traditional  type of simmental bull. We have used others and not had that problem before. That whole group we bought was nothing but problems though, they got broken, went through fences, flipped a horse, it was a headache. We did not keep anything out of them, and they went on the truck that spring, lesson learned.

 

[lowann]

First off does the calf have a high BW like 90+ lbs. If so I have seen this in about every breed out there. High BW calves joints are sometimes underdeveloped and they just dont have the strength to stand on their hooves. Also with bigger BW calves there is a lot more strain on them during birth making them weak for the first few days. So if it was a long labor and a big calf I would not worry about it, bottle feed the calf or stand him up to nurse and within a couple days they usually come right around. Now if it was a small calf I would look on the genetic side a little more.

Ours were around 85lbs. All three herd bull calves had it. Genetic.

 

[DEF]

thanks  to everyone  this far!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[DEF]

anymore info?