Bull calf born with no eyes???

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snake67":12fv67ue said:
inyati13":12fv67ue said:
High Cotton":12fv67ue said:
No one is right or wrong on a thing like this.

You and I could not disagree more on this one - no fence sitting on this one

Bez

Bez, I understand. Would not be the right decision for me to keep the calf because I am busy with other essential cattle husbandry responsibilities and I would probably worry about the calf more than would be good for me. If Tammi has lots of time and needs something rewarding to do, then maybe it would be right for her. The project could end in a nice veal. My point is that there is no cattle bible to go to that says in Scenario A the right decision is C below. Or maybe there is one and no one has told me. :D
 
Well, I'm going to repeat myself.

We HAD a calf like this. He kept by mama, although we ended up penning them in a pen without electric fence. He knew where the water was, he knew where the feed was, he knew where the milk was. At weaning he went in the barn and was fattened out. His eye sockets filled in with tissue and did not attract flies. He was not in pain, he did not suffer. He didn't require any more attention than any other single calf, other than using non-electric fencing.

He fattened out in a normal time and we sold him privately by the side on the rail. The people were pleased with the beef.

ETA: we also didn't have barb wire around his lot because he would sometimes walk into the fence. We also halter broke him to make it easier to load him and work around him in his fattening pen.
 
Chris H":da3ww5md said:
Well, I'm going to repeat myself.

We HAD a calf like this. He kept by mama, although we ended up penning them in a pen without electric fence. He knew where the water was, he knew where the feed was, he knew where the milk was. At weaning he went in the barn and was fattened out. His eye sockets filled in with tissue and did not attract flies. He was not in pain, he did not suffer. He didn't require any more attention than any other single calf, other than using non-electric fencing.

He fattened out in a normal time and we sold him privately by the side on the rail. The people were pleased with the beef.

ETA: we also didn't have barb wire around his lot because he would sometimes walk into the fence. We also halter broke him to make it easier to load him and work around him in his fattening pen.

Chris was he also deaf? It seems like if he is both then he's screwed!
 
But he does eat...
I've seen calves so dumb they can't even handle that function it seems.
Might be enough to make him a young veal candidate, even if he's sightless and deaf he can still eat and grow.
Just time consuming...
He still responds to touch, taste and smell, which might be enough for at least a bottle calf
 
Chris H":1axd7cr7 said:
Well, I'm going to repeat myself.

We HAD a calf like this. He kept by mama, although we ended up penning them in a pen without electric fence. He knew where the water was, he knew where the feed was, he knew where the milk was. At weaning he went in the barn and was fattened out. His eye sockets filled in with tissue and did not attract flies. He was not in pain, he did not suffer. He didn't require any more attention than any other single calf, other than using non-electric fencing.

He fattened out in a normal time and we sold him privately by the side on the rail. The people were pleased with the beef.

ETA: we also didn't have barb wire around his lot because he would sometimes walk into the fence. We also halter broke him to make it easier to load him and work around him in his fattening pen.

Sorry I didn't pay more attention the first time, Chris. You been there, done that. Tammi should give it a chance, might be pretty easy.
 
Tammi, if you want to try to raise the calf, put the pencil to the paper and figure out your cost to bottle feed him and grain him to a decent butcher size. I'm guessing raising him 9 to 12 months at least.

You would have to sell him as locker beef or eat him yourself because he wouldn't bring anything if you took him to a sale.

Good luck
 
inyati13":2ngzhi3b said:
Bez, I understand. Would not be the right decision for me to keep the calf because I am busy with other essential cattle husbandry responsibilities and I would probably worry about the calf more than would be good for me. If Tammi has lots of time and needs something rewarding to do, then maybe it would be right for her. The project could end in a nice veal. My point is that there is no cattle bible to go to that says in Scenario A the right decision is C below. Or maybe there is one and no one has told me. :D

Well, that is why you and I are so different.

I live in a black and white world - one that many disagree with - but I have my big boy pants on and have been wearing them for many years now - not to belittle you, but you and many others are often prepared to live in the grey at times.

I have no resources left for the additional cost and the additional time and I believe it would be easier and cheaper to buy that beef in the store (even if some of it is raised on chicken litter LOL) than to raise this little time and money waster.

I also do not have the urge to raise imperfect animals - they have all (sic) fingers, toes and other attachments or they hit the ground at our place.

Just the way we live at this end of the rail line.

What others do is their business - however if asked for an opinion, I give it.

I do my best to keep the touchy feely out of what I consider to be a business. My one self and publicly admitted weakness is similar to that hard nosed CB and a few others that I have a great deal of respect for on these boards - my dog - in this case a Border Collie - he owns me, not the other way around!

Be safe and have a great day

Bez
 
dun":2jjsis9r said:
I'm curious about on update on "Stevie Wonder"

Stevie Wonder is probably a better fit, in my mine I had already dubbed him "Tommy". Showing my age, that's the pin ball wizard Tommy.

After reading this post on saying it's okay to raise him out my two thoughs are, as Chippie stated the penciling point. Don't forget to add in the cost of your time and the cost of any and all possibilities of antibiotics to treat infections to those eyes and any and all cuts from running into things. That should help the carcass taste. My guess is he would not sell at the auction yard, just a two way trailer ride.

Second is, I'm sure some of you would be able to slaughter Tommy/Stevie(we should start a poll). But in all seriousness Tammy, husband says put him down, you say bottle feed, what are the chances you will be able to stick a fork in Tommy/Stevie when he is in his final resting place ...... On your plate next to the potatoes.

Sometimes the heart strings cloud out all common sense.

:2cents:
 
dun":clf2ez4j said:
I'm curious about on update on "Stevie Wonder"

My guess is that we won't ever know. As with many first timers on here he asked a fairly controversial question and received some very strong responses.

Probably won't respond as to not offend one side or the other.
 
I appreciate everyones replies.. it is a tough decision.

Stevie is doing well, he is taking the bottle and mama is watching out for him. Keeping him safe. we are gonna keep him in a pen and raise him for beef if things continue to go well. I am still hoping he will take to mama to eat but he hasn't figured it out yet. He can hear because he comes to me now when I go in with the bottle.

thanks again to all for your suggestions..

Dun... I sent you a current pic to post

Tammi
 
@alan...you are right.. I talked to a local farmer and he said they ended up raising a blind cow and it just lived out its life with them. I don't know how I will feel about the plate deal, but my husband has many friends who say they will have no problem. As long as he is growing stronger I have to try. Yes I am a softie and fortunately my kids are grown and once my day job is done, i can dedicate time to him. I go in before going to work in the morning and after work for the feedings so far and he seems to be doing well. with hubby getting ready to start cutting soon, Stevie will keep me occupied.
 
IMAG0712.jpg
 
Wouldn't hurt to get the eyelids sewn shut if you plan to keep him. That would go a long way to quality of life. Been many a blind calf born and made its way to a plate. This one is not that much different
 
snake67":1083h5up said:
inyati13":1083h5up said:
Bez, I understand. Would not be the right decision for me to keep the calf because I am busy with other essential cattle husbandry responsibilities and I would probably worry about the calf more than would be good for me. If Tammi has lots of time and needs something rewarding to do, then maybe it would be right for her. The project could end in a nice veal. My point is that there is no cattle bible to go to that says in Scenario A the right decision is C below. Or maybe there is one and no one has told me. :D

Well, that is why you and I are so different.

I live in a black and white world - one that many disagree with - but I have my big boy pants on and have been wearing them for many years now - not to belittle you, but you and many others are often prepared to live in the grey at times.

I have no resources left for the additional cost and the additional time and I believe it would be easier and cheaper to buy that beef in the store (even if some of it is raised on chicken litter LOL) than to raise this little time and money waster.

I also do not have the urge to raise imperfect animals - they have all (sic) fingers, toes and other attachments or they hit the ground at our place.

Just the way we live at this end of the rail line.

What others do is their business - however if asked for an opinion, I give it.

I do my best to keep the touchy feely out of what I consider to be a business. My one self and publicly admitted weakness is similar to that hard nosed CB and a few others that I have a great deal of respect for on these boards - my dog - in this case a Border Collie - he owns me, not the other way around!

Be safe and have a great day

Bez
Bez, don't make too many assumptions. I am not as soft as you may think. When I was growing up on the farm in what was a poor farming county in Kentucky, I earned my reputation for being the animal executioner. When some poor farmer had an animal that he wanted put down, he would call my Dad and ask if I would do the honors. I was a good hunter, trapper and marksman. Spent the entire summer hunting and trapping groundhogs for the local folks. I earned anywhere from 15 to 30 cents bounty to get groundhogs out of farmers barns or hay fields. Even shot a couple horses. I remember the first big animal was a draft horse that got foundered on corn and its hoofs got deformed. I shot her too low in the head with a .22 long rifle. She went backwards while a gallon of blood spurted from her nostrils. It was horrible. When she settled enough that I could get in a second shot, I got it into her brain. I learned after that to draw an X from ear to eye and shoot at the intersection. If you shoot between the eyes as they always tell you, you just go under the brain and bust-up the nasal cavity which makes a lot of blood but does not put them down humanly. I was not even a teenager at the time. I killed lots of dogs that people did not want or had mange so bad they would make you vomit. I went all the way up to elephant in the Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe. I shot a tuskless calfless cow as part of a culling operation. Made a side brain shot with a .375 H & H magnum using 300 grain tungsten carbide bullets I loaded myself. Don't really want to kill anything anymore but I am very pro hunting. I just have gotten to the point where life is more precious. I grew up with animals dying and being killed. I just thought it was part of the norm. As you say, I don't mind taking off my big boy pants these days. BTW, I am not concerned about being belittled. If it is deserved, then it is justified. If it is not deserved, why would I care.

In regard to the blind calf, I have no more to say.
 
Ditto about getting his eyelids sewn shut. Is his head deformed too?
I doubt that he will ever learn to nurse his mother unless you can put her in a chute and get a teat in his mouth. All he knows is the bottle.
Good luck with him.
 
tamhart2012":3t3m0crb said:
@alan...you are right.. I talked to a local farmer and he said they ended up raising a blind cow and it just lived out its life with them. I don't know how I will feel about the plate deal, but my husband has many friends who say they will have no problem. As long as he is growing stronger I have to try. Yes I am a softie and fortunately my kids are grown and once my day job is done, i can dedicate time to him. I go in before going to work in the morning and after work for the feedings so far and he seems to be doing well. with hubby getting ready to start cutting soon, Stevie will keep me occupied.


Tammi, I'm for one am also glad to see you stick around. As 3way stated so many times someone will get the courage to ask a question for the first time and it turns into a debate with some long time members that goes on and on. You have a situation that is unique to most and you made your choice. Your choice is a reason for respect for you from all here. That being said said, you have a long road ahead of you and you have gotten some great advice here. as hooknline said, down the road you want to think about sealing the eye lids shut, they do it to high $ horses after they are bred to help fight off infection ..... Well the eye lids is not the part sealed shut on bred horses, but it works. Although, the calf already knows you come with a bottle, he'll most likely not look to momma for food, he's a bottle baby. Since you're willing to take the time and dive in to raising this calf and your fiends will help you with the end roads on him being butchered my hats off to you.

Good luck and keep us posted, please!

:tiphat:
Alan
 

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