- Apr 2, 2009
- 16
- 0
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Hello everyone. MY family and I are having problems with a calf we recently got. We got her, as well as 2 bull calves, from a guy that got them from a dairy. They are Jerseys, and vary in age. We did lose one of the bulls a couple of days after we brought them home.
The other bull is doing WONDERFUL!! Hes active, and getting bigger everyday.
Its the little heifer (Paige) that I am frustrated with.
She was a couple days old when we brought her home. When we got her, the condition she was in was appalling. She was shooting yellow water-like diarrhea, she eyes were dull, she couldnt stand more than a couple of minutes, you could count every knot in her backbone, as well as her ribs, her hip bones made sores where they were rubbing on her skin the list goes on and on.
These obviously were not the shape we wanted these calves to be in when we purchased them but I felt like we could not just leave them there as they were not getting the care they needed. So, we brought them home with us.
Weve had them for 2 weeks now. Both have put on a good amount of weight. Paige looks much much better. Her diarrhea has cleared up, has had a round of antibiotics, her coat is shinier and not as flaky and shes very interested in things and eats her entire bottle, 2 quarts, twice a day.
HOWEVERthis is the part I am frustrated with. We can not get her to stand on her own. We have to haul her up every morning/evening to eat. After shes up she walks around. Shes slow, and still seems weak, but she will following you anywhere after youve fed her a bottle. And, she does this little lurch like shes half heartedly trying to get up, up seems to give up.
SO, do you think she will eventually get this on her own? Shes been though so much, I just wonder if I am just being impatient and she really just does not have the strength to get up on her own, or if we have just babied her too much and she just wont?
Weve even teased her with her bottle, giving her a little sip to see if when we take it, that will make her irritated enough to get up and get it. Nope. We still had to get her up.
Alsoshe does seem to be very very stubborn. Weve had the halter on her twice, to see if small walks would help her build up her strength, and when we put the halter on her, she does this flop thing where she wont even lift up her headlike shes dying---LOL However, as soon as you take it off she suddenly comes back to life. LOL Weve given up on the halter, and just take her out on walks with out it. She bonds really well with who ever gives her bottles and will just follow right by you like a faithful dog.
Any suggestions on why she isnt standing on her own? Still weak? Spoiled?
Thanks!
Rebecca
PS--I did also post this in the BackyardHerds Group...just thought there also might be someone here that could help.
The other bull is doing WONDERFUL!! Hes active, and getting bigger everyday.
Its the little heifer (Paige) that I am frustrated with.
She was a couple days old when we brought her home. When we got her, the condition she was in was appalling. She was shooting yellow water-like diarrhea, she eyes were dull, she couldnt stand more than a couple of minutes, you could count every knot in her backbone, as well as her ribs, her hip bones made sores where they were rubbing on her skin the list goes on and on.
These obviously were not the shape we wanted these calves to be in when we purchased them but I felt like we could not just leave them there as they were not getting the care they needed. So, we brought them home with us.
Weve had them for 2 weeks now. Both have put on a good amount of weight. Paige looks much much better. Her diarrhea has cleared up, has had a round of antibiotics, her coat is shinier and not as flaky and shes very interested in things and eats her entire bottle, 2 quarts, twice a day.
HOWEVERthis is the part I am frustrated with. We can not get her to stand on her own. We have to haul her up every morning/evening to eat. After shes up she walks around. Shes slow, and still seems weak, but she will following you anywhere after youve fed her a bottle. And, she does this little lurch like shes half heartedly trying to get up, up seems to give up.
SO, do you think she will eventually get this on her own? Shes been though so much, I just wonder if I am just being impatient and she really just does not have the strength to get up on her own, or if we have just babied her too much and she just wont?
Weve even teased her with her bottle, giving her a little sip to see if when we take it, that will make her irritated enough to get up and get it. Nope. We still had to get her up.
Alsoshe does seem to be very very stubborn. Weve had the halter on her twice, to see if small walks would help her build up her strength, and when we put the halter on her, she does this flop thing where she wont even lift up her headlike shes dying---LOL However, as soon as you take it off she suddenly comes back to life. LOL Weve given up on the halter, and just take her out on walks with out it. She bonds really well with who ever gives her bottles and will just follow right by you like a faithful dog.
Any suggestions on why she isnt standing on her own? Still weak? Spoiled?
Thanks!
Rebecca
PS--I did also post this in the BackyardHerds Group...just thought there also might be someone here that could help.
