Bull calf born with no eyes???

[tamhart2012]

Hi, we had a bull calf born today with no eyes. His mama almost fed him but then turned away and left. He drank 3/4 gallon of replacer milk this evening. He is a beautiful boy and seems strong...will he be okay? this is only my second bottle baby and my first with such a severe handicap. I don't want him to have a horrible life but I don't want my husband to put him down if I can save him.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

His mama has always had healthy babies so not sure what caused this.

Thanks
Tammi

 

[tsmaxx47]

put him down.......

 

[Black and Good]

Pictures Please. No eyes,no eye sockets,nothing??? Interesting. Sorry about the calf.

 

[tamhart2012]

I have pictures but not sure how to load them on here. It is really bizarre. My husband has been raising for 15 years and this is his first such deformity. My first bottle baby was a twin that the mama wouldn't take. Took his brother and left him. He is now a 400lb steer named( I know, you shouldn't name them) Buddy.

if you know how to upload pics, let me know and I will post. They are not disgusting just sad.

 

[dun]

 

[Chris H]

Had a herf calf a few years ago like that. He followed mama, or she followed him. He made a steer. After weaning it's best to keep in a pen without electric fence, and not very many pen mates.

Get him & mama penned up and see if she'll take him.

btw, there are a few weeds that cause defects during pregnancy.

 

[snake67]

Hi, we had a bull calf born today with no eyes. His mama almost fed him but then turned away and left. He drank 3/4 gallon of replacer milk this evening. He is a beautiful boy and seems strong...will he be okay? this is only my second bottle baby and my first with such a severe handicap. I don't want him to have a horrible life but I don't want my husband to put him down if I can save him.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

His mama has always had healthy babies so not sure what caused this.

Thanks
Tammi

Tammi

Put on your big girl pants - go out to the barn and shoot that thing right now

Bez

 

[chippie]

Since the cow won't accept him, I would probably put him down. Since the socket is exposed, you will probably have problems with flies.

 

[Alan]

You've gotten two great pieces of advice so far;

1. Do the kind thing and put the calf down.

2. Watch you winter hay for noxious weeds, they cause all sorts of birth defects and abortions.

 

[skeeter swatter]

Future Craigslist bull! All kidding aside, if you have a smallish pen for him, you can raise him to at least fill the freezer.

 

[tamhart2012]

Mama came in the pen this morning and tried to get him to get up..he took a full bottle and she has been coming and going all day trying to get him to respond to her but he isn't showing any signs. she has been bawling for him all day but he hasn't answered her. Wouldn't drink this evening from the bottle. my husband is giving him til morning to see if he will eat. if not he is putting him down. I thought the mama didn't want him, but she has been great today. of course it is sad because she is trying so hard and she is so full it looks to be very painful.
Thanks for all the replies. Farming is definitely going to be an interesting life. ON a happy note though, the first cow my husband gave me has become a mama and she is doing a marvelous job with her little bull calf. Chloe is now 2 and has the cutest little baby.

 

[M5farm]

Before you put him down get a dairy calf or orphan put with him and try and get mama to take it.

 

[Alan]

Before you put him down get a dairy calf or orphan put with him and try and get mama to take it.

Great advice, you can pick up a very low $ calf whose a few days old and let the cow raise it. Your blind calf will be nothing but a big labor tug on your heart strings.

 

[glacierridge]

Heartbreaking.
I would try to raise him if it were mine, but i know it would take a lot of trouble and time.
But that is me.
I know many couldn't or wouldn't want to take that kind of care on.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I'd try to raise him myself. With the price of beef, it would be worth it. Get him bottle trained, he will come when called. But that is if he does not have any other medical issues you have not seen yet.

 

[glacierridge]

I'd try to raise him myself. With the price of beef, it would be worth it. Get him bottle trained, he will come when called. But that is if he does not have any other medical issues you have not seen yet.

Good points.
You could always give him to someone that would have the time for it if you can't.

No real easy answer in this any way it's cut...

 

[High Cotton]

Put it out of it's misery. What is your time worth? In the end the price of your time and what ever other medical attention that calf will require will not equal your return. I'm with several others, when it gets warmer and flies start infection will cause a slow miserable death for that calf.

 

[greybeard]

You might want to read this. Another CT member from Va also had a calf born missing an eyeball-and blind in the other.

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=62375

Mama came in the pen this morning and tried to get him to get up..he took a full bottle and she has been coming and going all day trying to get him to respond to her but he isn't showing any signs. she has been bawling for him all day but he hasn't answered her

Is it also deaf, or did it not have time to know that is momma calling for it?

I too, would put it down.

 

[Ryder]

These animals should not be thought of as people or as pets.
Nothing lives forever anyway.
Do the kind and practical thing and shoot the animal.

 

[inyati13]

Put it out of it's misery. What is your time worth? In the end the price of your time and what ever other medical attention that calf will require will not equal your return. I'm with several others, when it gets warmer and flies start infection will cause a slow miserable death for that calf.

I think High Cotton is right but this is your decision. No one is right or wrong on a thing like this.