Rocky-- Pre-mature calf wanting a second chance----

[greenfamilyfarms]

Make SURE that he is getting sunlight so he can get some Vitamin D. Without it, he will develop Ricketts for sure. If you can't get him outside for a little while everyday, try to see if you can find some kind of supplement that has Vitamin D in it.

Ricketts will cause his legs to grow crooked and it is hard to correct if he ever gets it. Calves grow so fast that their bones need all the calcium and Vit D they can get. You will have a real challenge if he gets it. One day he'll be up, the next he can't get up because his legs are crooked.

Good luck! We babied a blind calf this summer and he's doing just fine. Just be a good "mama" and you'll do fine.

Edited to ad:
By the way, calves tend to be rather stupid! They just haven't learned about the ways of the world yet. They'll run into things, get themselves reallly dirty, and generally act really goofy. So, I don't think your calf is "not right upstairs" - he's just a baby. Give him a little while.

 

[americana-chick]

Quote:
His legs where crooked when we first got him but just because he was a pre-me his legs are fine now. and pre-mature calfs can get symptoms like partially blind, etc. and i am pretty sure he is partially blind. but its nothing new here. we actually just got another pre-mature from my owne cows but he is older than Rocky my little pre-me that i am talking about here. i sure hope that once his real fine hair gots a bit longer i can let him out with the other 50 calfs on the bottle here. what a workout! and i know they can be.. a bit stupid...

and i also know about most of the deseases they can get. he will be the only one that i will save from getting sold with the other males. he will grow with the females we have and adventually be in our 'big lot' with the dairy cows.

 

[ravencreek]

Where are the pics? I wanna calf soo bad! But Hubbins says we have enough going on right now and no time to bottle a calf. I helped raise meat calves with my uncle when I was a kid. Scours is soo scary and can take them in a very short time. My uncle gave me a steer calf with scours that was only "mine" to feed and care for everyday. He didn't think it would live and was trying to use him as a way to teach me about how life and death on the farm worked. Man that was a bad idea cause I was very strong willed in the battle for his life. I won of course but not by much. That sweet steer died not even 2 years ago. I had him trained to a saddle and everything. Loved my Hugo sooo much.

 

[americana-chick]

Glad he made it!

and i will post pics shortly,
~Bri

 

[Skyesrocket]

50 bottle calves! You really have your hands full! The most I have bottle fed at one time was 8 and that kept me on my toes!

 

[americana-chick]

Quote:
no no no, i am definatly not doing it all myself! I would probabl die if i had to take care of that many calfs by myself!!!
~Bri

 

[americana-chick]

Well, so far so good for rocky, he is growing like a WEED! i take him outside as often as i can. he still has that corse fur but his fur is getting a bit thicker. I take him all over the farm and he follows me. He still walks up to walls and starts trying to find the bottle, his eyes are gorgeous they just arent really the average color for cows eyes wich makes me think he might be partially blind. no matter what he is the cutest calf out here without a doubt!

i will post pics as soon as i can but my camera is dead right now but i am trying to fix it as fast as i can.
thanks
~Bri

 

[americana-chick]

Just for anyone that can remember this story-Rocky sadly passed away yesterday.. He caught nemonia and then was trampled by the other cows in the mud. He didnt die then though, he lived about 5 days after the stampied (we had the vet look at him and he said he didnt get hurt at all but the nemonia was really bad) The Nemonia got the best of him and Rocky couldnt fight it any longer. I love him so much, and yet i feel horrible. I could have been with rocky 24-7 to watch over him but instead i was selfish and did other things. I know him dying wasnt my fault, but i owed it to him to stay with him and yet i didnt. He will always be remembered here though. MY whole family loved him and talked about him to everyone.
I will love you forever Rocky.
R.I.P.

 

[momma's chickens]

I am so sorry to hear about Rocky! It is always so hard to lose an animal especially one that you have put so much time and love into. You were NOT selfish because you did other things, you were human.

 

[herfrds]

Sorry to hear that. It just stinks when you put so much time and effort into keeping an animal alive and something happens.

Just curious, what did you treat the pnuemonia with?