dirty calf

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Anonymous

we had a heifer calve yesterday, and the calf was covered in a yellowish, brownish mess... i think this came from the cows water bag... not sure... never had one look this way... anyone have any thoughts on what may have happened here??

thanks

gene



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OP
A

Anonymous

Sometimes heifers wont clean the calf off well and a paper like film will stick to the calf and dry on them.

Best to get the calf well cleaned or hair will fall off, we had one do that this year, hair came back but looks stange till it all sheds off.

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Anonymous

this is the way it looked when born... we had to pull it... most have a clear film on them.. this one was different...

thanks gene

> Sometimes heifers wont clean the
> calf off well and a paper like
> film will stick to the calf and
> dry on them.

> Best to get the calf well cleaned
> or hair will fall off, we had one
> do that this year, hair came back
> but looks stange till it all sheds
> off.



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A

Anonymous

I've seen it and never have been able to figure it out. I was once told it's from the calf defecating while still inside, I have my doubts about that theory

dun

> this is the way it looked when
> born... we had to pull it... most
> have a clear film on them.. this
> one was different...

> thanks gene
 
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A

Anonymous

I have also had several calves born that way in the past. Usually they were born a week or two late and had to be pulled. I posted a question here about it a couple of years ago and the reply was that it was muconium staining caused by stress to the calf during birth or just before, probably from being born a couple of weeks late. I didn't have any other trouble with those calves though, they were healthy after that.
 
OP
A

Anonymous

> we had a heifer calve yesterday,
> and the calf was covered in a
> yellowish, brownish mess... i
> think this came from the cows
> water bag... not sure... never had
> one look this way... anyone have
> any thoughts on what may have
> happened here??

> thanks

> gene

Its quite common in a stressed birth for the calf to be stained with muconium this is the linings of the digestive tract of the calf.

you must have seen the first stool passed by a calf (black) when passed internally it can cause aspiration pneumonia as the muconium is not absorbed by the lungs.

many calves have died a few days after birth from this. regards Art



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