calf born last night won't stand

[noel73]

We had to have the vet come and pull a MUCH ANTICIPATED calf from my son's best heifer yesterday at about 6 pm.  The calf was very large.  She is alert and when we tie her mama up and put the calf's head up to the teats she latches right on and goes to town sucking.  However, it has been 12 hours and still not putting it all together to stand. It seems like the problem is in her back legs, she trys but just flops back down.  Her legs and feet appear perfectly formed and normal.  How long to wait before we just give up and count her as a loss?  I DO NOT want her to lay out there and suffer in anyway.  Any opinions/suggestions would be welcome.  I am calling the vet as soon as 7:30 gets here.  Just FYI she is out of a Tyson heifer and a very low birthweight Brangus bull.  I think that the mama is just too small.

 

[kfacres]

never know what to expect with clubby genetics...

the calf will get up in a few days.. bottle feed it until then.  Many hard pulls from first calf heifers, are this way...  may take as much as 4 days.

 

[vanridge]

when we have a calf that has trouble standing we help it to stand several times a day. If she is drinking from the cow than we will go in with 2 people and help it stand while feeding and if that doesn't work than we do it before feeding so that it's not too  tired. We also make sure that there is lots of clean straw for the calf to lay on.  Most of our calves had difficulty with tight tendons so all it takes is a lot of patience and help stretching those tendons. Hopefully the calf doesn't have any permanent nerve damage from the hard pull. Good luck.

 

[OH Breeder]

Unfortunately you have one of those big dumb calves. We've had some in the past. It takes them sometime to get moving. I have used straw bale and put under neath the calf because my back does not bend like it did before. My vet has also given bantamine for swelling and inflammation from hard pull.

ps milk momma out and bottle feed as said before is an option.

 

[noel73]

Thanks for the responses.  I am feeling better about the situation. The vet said the same thing - that it could be a couple of days before she is up and going.  The calf really wants to nurse and goes at it like crazy when you get her over to mama. 

 

[CAB]

Many times the bigger calves/harder pulls will hurt their hip joint/muscle. I have had several over my time. They can survive & depending on the severity of the damage, some will go to town & not be sorted, but more times they will be sorted and docked @ the sale barn. If you need a locker beef they can work for the freezer. Don't give up too quickly. Does your calf keep his legs under him while resting or are they spraddled out behind him/her? If always spraddled out behind it, it will not be near as good of a chance for the calf.

Would you mind sharing the mating so some of us can avoid a possible repeat of your experience please? Good luck. Brent

 

[Shadow Hill Farm]

Everyone has covered pretty much what I was going to suggest.  <cowboy> Just give her sometime to get going. It's good that she is eager at feeding time!! Hang in there!

 

[kfacres]

Many times the bigger calves/harder pulls will hurt their hip joint/muscle. I have had several over my time. They can survive & depending on the severity of the damage, some will go to town & not be sorted, but more times they will be sorted and docked @ the sale barn. If you need a locker beef they can work for the freezer. Don't give up too quickly. Does your calf keep his legs under him while resting or are they spraddled out behind him/her? If always spraddled out behind it, it will not be near as good of a chance for the calf.

Would you mind sharing the mating so some of us can avoid a possible repeat of your experience please? Good luck. Brent

Particularly the breeding further back behind the dam.. and if you ever had her pelvic measured?

 

[linnettejane]

ive had really good luck with the product nurse mate asap...especially with the big ones, or if its super cold, or for example i had a set of twins a couple weeks ago, gave them each a tube...seems like it helps "wake them up" a little quicker, but you need to give it right at birth...i keep a supply in the frig
heres a link to read more about it

http://www.pbsanimalhealth.com/details/Nurse-Mate-ASAP-for-Calves/437-15.html

 

[leanbeef]

Everybody has their own regimen, I guess...If I have a calf that needs a boost, I give it a raw egg at every feeding until the calf is going. If you've never done it, I think you might be surprised at the results. Raw eggs are rich in enzymes, energy and nutrients that seem to work great for situations like what you're talking about. As long as the calf is willing, I would do something to try to help her get going. The "big, dumb calf" syndrome is frustrating and aggravating, but I don't think it sounds like you have one of those. Keep in mind that raw eggs CAN carry salmonella, so make sure the eggs you use are relatively fresh. Good luck!

 

[kfacres]

Everybody has their own regimen, I guess...If I have a calf that needs a boost, I give it a raw egg at every feeding until the calf is going. If you've never done it, I think you might be surprised at the results. Raw eggs are rich in enzymes, energy and nutrients that seem to work great for situations like what you're talking about. As long as the calf is willing, I would do something to try to help her get going. The "big, dumb calf" syndrome is frustrating and aggravating, but I don't think it sounds like you have one of those. Keep in mind that raw eggs CAN carry salmonella, so make sure the eggs you use are relatively fresh. Good luck!

we have a raw egg concoction that we give calves with the scours, also has salt, gelatin, and something else- can't remember at this stage of the night.. 

 

[leanbeef]

I don't know exactly how or why it works, I just know it works! I've decided if I need a miracle, what I really need is an egg. I've seen calves make it that I wouldn't have given a nickle for their chances.

 

[noel73]

Just thought I would post an update on our calf.  She is getting stronger and can stand if you get her up and she is a ferocious eater (she is so big and mama is short, so sometimes she nurses flat on her belly).  Husband took her to the vet this morning because we noticed that the problem seems to be in her right back leg.  The vet described it as muscle loss and something to do with the femoral nerve.  He said that he would absolutely not give up on her yet - keep exercising the leg and getting her to stand on it and putting it into place.  I am going to give it a shot- I sure wish this had happened after Ft. Worth because the steers take up so much time , but I guess I can fit one more thing on my plate. 

 

[Limiman12]

See if there are any chiropractors in your area that have their cert to adjust animals.    If not see if any without it are animal lovers.  I have witnessed some amazing things with heifers and dogs and have heard such for horses

 

[irishshorthorns]

We had to have the vet come and pull a MUCH ANTICIPATED calf from my son's best heifer yesterday at about 6 pm.  The calf was very large.  She is alert and when we tie her mama up and put the calf's head up to the teats she latches right on and goes to town sucking.  However, it has been 12 hours and still not putting it all together to stand. It seems like the problem is in her back legs, she trys but just flops back down.  Her legs and feet appear perfectly formed and normal.  How long to wait before we just give up and count her as a loss?  I DO NOT want her to lay out there and suffer in anyway.  Any opinions/suggestions would be welcome.  I am calling the vet as soon as 7:30 gets here.  Just FYI she is out of a Tyson heifer and a very low birthweight Brangus bull.  I think that the mama is just too small.

Hi Noel. I wouldn't overly panic at this early stage. As your calf was large at birth he or she may have just gotten a little hurt or checked themselves on the way out. As long as your calf has a good suckle reflex and is bright and alert they should be fine in a day or two. As long as they are warm and dry and getting enough milk in to them I wouldn't worry. Thee fact that this calf was so eagerly anticipated is probably why you are a bit anxious. Please keep us all updated on the progress.

 

[RidinHeifer]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE....
Follow your vets intructions exercise that leg and the rest of that calf! Make that calf get up at least once a day! the more the better! Make it stand (with your help of course) to eat. I would try to see if it can walk while you hold it up.  If you let her lay down all the time and this goes on for a couple weeks, it can cause the muscles, etc to start to grow as if she was laying down, where she eventually can't get up at all. It is hard as heck, I've been there! You just have to do everything you can and not let him lay down 24/7.  Also if its laying on one sided more than the other, when you put it back down, try and get it on the other side. 
You just want to make sure you get it up every day at least once and do everything you can to  help it walk around a little! i've seen too many in predicaments like this that didn't get better because it was too late when wee got a hold of it and tried to get it going.
Best of luck with your calf, sorry for being a bit blunt but it just irks me when great calves go to waste because the breeder doesn't do it the justice of a chance!

 

[AndersenClubCalves]

never know what to expect with clubby genetics...

the calf will get up in a few days.. bottle feed it until then.  Many hard pulls from first calf heifers, are this way...  may take as much as 4 days.

Sounds like it could be white muscle might want to try and give her a shot of BO SE.

 

[kfacres]

never know what to expect with clubby genetics...

the calf will get up in a few days.. bottle feed it until then.  Many hard pulls from first calf heifers, are this way...  may take as much as 4 days.

Sounds like it could be white muscle might want to try and give her a shot of BO SE.

if you are talking to me...  we give every baby calf and lamb born at our place a shot of Se.  BoSe works ok, but there is a CeSe (organic) that works a little better.  I think we've also tried MuSe. as well. 

Where I grew up we were also in an Iron deficient area-- and so they got a shot of that as well upon birth...  Now, we've got sooooo much iron in the water, we don't give that shot..

 

[noel73]

The calf is up and walking really well now!!!!    We are so excited - her right back leg still falls down some but she is starting to put more weight on it.  You can look at the leg and see where it is lacking muscle.  She did get a shot of BO SE on Wednesday.  We are definitely not giving up on her, as a matter of fact she is doing so well we are going to turn her out in a couple of days.  Thanks to everyone for their responses we really appreciate it.

 

[DL]

never know what to expect with clubby genetics...

the calf will get up in a few days.. bottle feed it until then.  Many hard pulls from first calf heifers, are this way...  may take as much as 4 days.

Sounds like it could be white muscle might want to try and give her a shot of BO SE.

FYIW white muscle disease does not affect one muscle that is innervated by one nerve - sounds to me like what the vet said - femoral never damage/irritation ---> muscle atrophy. If it is irritation the nerve may heal itself and with exercise the muscle re develop - however if the nerve is damaged the muscle may never go back to "normal" (muscles require nervous input - without it they atrophy) - as long as she can get around and is doing OK you should be good - but I doubt she will ever be a show heifer

Good job with her glad she is coming around