We have a purebred Angus calf that is almost 3 months old, bull, and it does not appear to have grown at all since it was born. It looks like a newborn. I've observed it eating in the pasture, eating hay, drinking water, and also suckling. However, its mother does not have much of an udder (though she is producing some) and in fact seems sick herself. She used to be a show heifer, and now she is nothing but skin and bones. This has happened only since the calf was born, before she was of normal weight and appearance. I don't think the calf is simply small from a lack of milk, he really hasn't grown at all, period. he seems healthy other than his size, he runs around, eats, but calves his age are almost twice his size. We've never had a dwarf calf, so I'm not really sure how to deal with him, and I am not sure what is wrong with the mother...any ideas?
dwarf calf & sick mom
- Thread starter LoveMoo11
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If it was indeed a dwarf you would have seen it from birth, very hard to mistake a dwarf for a normal calf.
Your first call should be your vet, he'll most likely want to take a fecal sample and cut earnotches for BVD PI tests, test for TB, etc. Once you have answers on that he'll suggest the way forward. I'll go out on a limb saying the fecal samples will probably give the answer.
Katie
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You might also want the mother tested for Johne's also.
LoveMoo11
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I don't think it would be Johne's or anything like that...she is the only cow in the herd that is sick and we haven't had any new introductions to the herd other than the calves being born this summer (the sire was from our herd too).
JOHNES IS A BAD DEAL I HOPE IT ISN'T THATLoveMoo11":2k82ho39 said:
I WOULD LOAD HER UP AND SALE BARN HER AS LONG AS SHE DOESN'T HAVE A TEMPERATURE
OF COURSE I HAVE SEEN MANY A SHOW HEIFER (SHOE BOX WITH LEGS) MAKE A VERY POOR BROODCOW...
YOU WANT PRODUCTION COWS BUY A PRODUCTION COW YOU WANT SHOW ANIMALS OK BUT DON'T USE THEM AS REPLACEMENTS AS THERE ARE ALWAYS A FEW THAT JUST CANT MAKE IT
novatech
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Sorry about stealing the thread but it has been dead for a while.4CTophand":2g2s8dtd said:
I'll have to differ with you on this. I have a good friend that buys several show heifers every year to help the kids out. He has been doing this for over 15 years. He has never had a problem with any of them.
Most of my cattle are AI'd to bulls that are in the Registry of Renown. Since I am not confident in my knowledge of proper conformation this helps as I do not have to worry about that as much. I have found that when judges make their selections based on certain traits there is usually a good reason behind it.
I can promise you that as little as I know about conformation I could go through most Production herds and pick them apart. There will be just as many, percentage wise, with health issues.
novatech":1ksacdf4 said:
well yes this is true but she seemed to be having an issue with using show heifer as a replacement female -- usually those shoe box types with legs make poor broodcows but depending a lot on management------ a show heifer is much different that a production cow whether she is commercail or PB --- many good production PB cows out there where a great show heifer could be produced that would work in the show ring AND THE PASTURE
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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4CT - every "show animal" I have ever had, is a BROODCOW. Either in my herd or someone else's. And, they are not pampered. My cowherd is run like a commercial herd. They are expected to calve at 2 years of age, and fit into our 60 day calving season on grass in summer & hay in the winter - whether they were shown or not. You need to watch your "broad" comments.
Johnes disease is acquired at birth or shortly thereafter (usually) and usually does not show up til they are 2 yrs old & at calving time. But, you did not mention that she is scouring, which is the biggest symptom of Johnes.
Sounds like she is not getting enough nutrition for a nursing 2-year old. How are your pastures, or hay supply? Quality wise. Cattle can starve standing knee deep in hay if it doesn't have nutritional value.
As KNERSIE said, you would know if it was a dwarf, they do not look normal. Sounds like calf is not getting enough milk to me, which fits, if the dam is thin, her body will not produce enough milk.
Johnes disease is acquired at birth or shortly thereafter (usually) and usually does not show up til they are 2 yrs old & at calving time. But, you did not mention that she is scouring, which is the biggest symptom of Johnes.
Sounds like she is not getting enough nutrition for a nursing 2-year old. How are your pastures, or hay supply? Quality wise. Cattle can starve standing knee deep in hay if it doesn't have nutritional value.
As KNERSIE said, you would know if it was a dwarf, they do not look normal. Sounds like calf is not getting enough milk to me, which fits, if the dam is thin, her body will not produce enough milk.
Keren
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4CT -
how do you like these production cows?
They were all show heifers and all champions at one point or another. I could find you more but they were the first ones I found on my ranchers album, and its 11pm here I'm too tired to upload more.
how do you like these production cows?
They were all show heifers and all champions at one point or another. I could find you more but they were the first ones I found on my ranchers album, and its 11pm here I'm too tired to upload more.
I agree with Wooden Tongue. Lost a cow last year with it. Does the cow chew slowly and slobber more than usual while trying to eat? Mine would come to eat when fed, but would eat very slowly and very little, then walk off. Treated cow with anti-biotics and she got better for 2 days, then quit eating and drinking all together.K2011":279w5dmw said:
Keren
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Rdapp - when I had a heifer with wooden tongue, it went from healthy one day, two days later bag of bones with its tongue hanging out, hardly able to drink water, not able to eat anything (and yes, I didnt see her for two days thats when it happened, that may make be a bad cattle carer but there was nothing wrong with the heifer when I last saw her and I had left them over the weekend many times before).
With mine, the tongue was actually hanging out about 12cm, and she couldnt eat and could barely drink, slobbering everywhere. She was a show heifer so instead of just shooting her I tried to save her. Treated her and tubed water and electrolytes into her several times, after about 2 wks she recovered, about 6 mths down the track she got it again and in the end was shot because after 4 wks she wasnt recovering and I just couldnt do it anymore.
With mine, the tongue was actually hanging out about 12cm, and she couldnt eat and could barely drink, slobbering everywhere. She was a show heifer so instead of just shooting her I tried to save her. Treated her and tubed water and electrolytes into her several times, after about 2 wks she recovered, about 6 mths down the track she got it again and in the end was shot because after 4 wks she wasnt recovering and I just couldnt do it anymore.
Keren, mine's tongue did'nt hang out,but when I mentioned to vet about eating slow and slobbering, he pulled tongue out and to the side, and tongue at it's base was swollen so she could'nt work her tongue to eat. Said it was from eating something that pricked the tongue causing a small injury, allowing bacteria to enter causing an infection.
rockridgecattle
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We just had a case this summer. We had the vet out to and she diagnosed wooden tongue. Her treatment was two bottles of IV iodine and some antibiotics for about a week and a 1/2. It has taked 4 months but she is finally starting to pick up.
Keren
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Rdapp - we didnt realise what it was until we pulled the tongue out even further and then you could see the swelling at the base of the tongue, it was so swollen that was why she couldnt pull her tongue back into her mouth
LoveMoo11
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Just an update if anyone cares-we ended up having to shoot the cow, she was down and wasn't getting back up. We actually thought she was dead until we got a close look at her. We still have the calf and he's still the same size-looks like a newborn. But he is a fiesty little bugger! I tried to catch him to bring him in the barn, I was worried about him getting too cold, not having enough food, and getting sick, but he dragged me right down into the snow!! He's feeding off one of the cows whose calf we just weaned and sold, and eating lots of hay so I guess he's alright...
rockridgecattle
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We do care, thanks for the update. Watch the adoptive momma. Depending on how close she is to calving this adoptee might bring down her BCS.
rockridgecattle
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Personally I would wean him. He might do better on a calf ration grain and hay. Now he needs dry matter protien. Start slow and gradual increase, but not so much that he gets fat.
