blind calf

[d peden]

I had a calf born blind in both eyes the pupiles are white. Was wondering if anyone has had this to happen and what the results were. Currently I am having to catch the cow and assist the calf in nursing twice daily :?:

 

[preston39]

d peden,
We have not. But, would suggest,If you plan to keep and raise him for some time, I would put mom in a controlled small area/corral to eliminate the work. If she is the avg. mom he will no doubt ball and she will come to him for nursing. The smell will lead him to the process once she is near. As starters I would bring her in and let him find her without guidance which will confirm for you his smell finding abilities.

Selling is probably not a good option...wouldn't bring much. Properly developed he would make good freezer beef.

 

[certherfbeef]

You probably ought to give your mineral program a good looking at too. Lots of problems start when the cow is lacking in a certain mineral.

 

[Bama]

Don't mean to be cold hearted here, but I would go ahead and eat him now. He will be a major problem if he is totally blind. Ditto on the minerals.

 

[MikeC]

Newborn calf blindness is not that rare.

Usually caused congenitally by a mineral defiency - Selenium - among others.

If, in fact, it is caused by this defiency you will most likely have more in the future.

 

[A6gal]

I had this happen to me a few years ago. The cow calved early probably due to stress. She was moved to a new location a few weeks prior to her due date and she calved the next day after the move. The calf was born blind. It didn't have problems nursing as long as the momma was near but when the cow would go through a gate the calf couldn't find the opening and would continually run into fences or other obstacles. We thought we'd try to keep it but the stress was too much so we shipped both the momma and the calf to the auction. It was hard, but it's a part of the business.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[dph]

Are you sure he is completley blind? If he can see light and dark he might get along all right. Trying walking in front of the calf from a fair distance, making sure he can't hear you. See if his head follows you like he is seeing a dark shape pass.

 

[Susie David]

Vitamin A...just a thought...deficiency can cause blindness in children and application restores sight..

 

[sidney411]

One of the guys down the road had a calf born blind. He would let it out during the day and at night he would lock it and his momma in the barn. He would go out to it and put a rope around his neck and lead hom to the barn and momma was tame enough to follow them in there. He was on old retired man so he had the time to work with them. It all depends on how much time you have and want to spend messing with them.

 

[Medic24]

So whats the verdict? Updates?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

your in for a big HEADACHE i bought a bred heifer that had a blind calf. it had no problem nursing but he was constantly going through fences.and going in the complete opposite of where you want him . i give him to a friend never remember him thanking me .

 

[A6gal]

Alacowman,

I guess, you didn't buy that cow and calf from an auction in south texas about three years ago, did ya? Sounds like a pair I sold around that time.

 

[dun]

Not related but it reminds me of a calf that a local dairyman had. Went blind at about 6 months but ran with herd, got bred and calved. She followed the other cows into and out of the parlor just fine. If he wanted her to turn he would tap her on the side of the rump in the direction he wanted her to turn. Sweet, easy going, no excitement in the barn, just a general pleasure to work with. The vet finally came up with a treatment that cleared up the blindness. She turned into the meanest, nastiest, evil dispositioned, kicking fool that I've ever seen in a parlor.

dun

 

[jt]

dun,

sounds like he needed to put some blind folds on her :lol:

jt

 

[dun]

dun,

sounds like he needed to put some blind folds on her :lol:

jt

I told him he needed to poke her eyes out. She never did settle down. She was mean as a snake (and that's probably unfair to a snake) till he sold out his whole herd, several lactations later.

dun

 

[Bama]

We had a cow go blind at about 10 years old. She was fine as long as she was with the herd. If the ever got seperated she would walk in circles. I had a heck of a time getting her in a trailer.

 

[Beefy]

blind animals adapt surprisingly well. i had two blind calves in two years a while back (both out of limousin bull which is why i culled his offspring). one was fine and found the teat by himself and everything. would never know he was blind if he didnt bump into fences. the other we had to teach to nurse and he was doing great so we let the pair out and about two weeks later he apparently walked off the dam into a deep part of the pond and drowned. so i guess my point is to be cautious of obstacles like that.

 

[Beefy]

try the vitamin A for the calf and definitely the minerals for everything else.