This fall, I had a calf, heifer, born that grew just fine for the first three weeks to a month, then she suddenly "stopped" growing. I won't say that she complelty stopped growing, but she is not noticably getting any taller. Now at about 9 months old she looks like a 3 1/2 month old calf. Her mother was a first calf heifer and her father was a bull that had had many normal and actually quite big calves that averaged at about 600 pounds a weaning. The calf is definantly getting PLENTY of milk, (she was accidently separated from her mom for a night, and the mothers bag was leaking milk.) She also has an age mate that had a simpliar problem, but he shot up in height and now he looks about 8 months old instead of 9. When these two calves were young they would very constantly nurse off of one anothers moms. But this calf has had a respiratory problem that started about when she stopped growing. This had still continued, but the problem is not enough to make her look skinny (she is actually quite round.) She does seem a bit shaggy and doesn't have a perfect hair coat. And because this calf looks so young we have kept her on her mother and she is now about 9 months old. Does anybody have any suggestions on what we might do?
Thank you!
Thank you!