Found missing cow

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herofan

herofan

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I just had a new experience. We've had a 5-year old baldie missing for about a month. No calls from neighbors, so she wasn't out, no buzzards flying around, and no sign of a dead body, but after several searches of the place, we didn't know what happened.

Today, my brother is driving around in a field that no cows are currently in, and there she is. At one time, she was as big as a barrel. Today, she was skeletal, although not the worst I've ever seen, and she had a calf that's probably two weeks old. :shock: The amazing part is the calf is in great shape and looks healthier than any we had this year. We brought them to the house and she is now enjoying grass, alfalfa hay, and dry feed. It's quite the mystery.

I usually complain about my calves being late, but she had her last one on October 28 of last year.
 
Any feed in the field she was in? water?

They lose weight really fast if they go down and cant get up for a while. But odd she would come back around with a live calf.
 
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There was plenty of grass and water in the field she was in, we just happened to have the cows in another field at the time. I can't figure out why all the weight loss. Perhaps she was hurt at some point and couldn't get around and then made a slow recovery. I don't understand how she had the strength to even have a calf.

As for the way she acts, maybe a little low on energy, or I could just be imagining that because of how she looks, but she's not acting like a cow at the point of death or disease stricken, but jerry27150 may be right that something could be wrong with her.

The calf's energy level is great; she is running and romping in the field. On the other hand, she will let you walk up and pet her.

If she can have such a good calf in her current condition and will return to good health, I agree with cowmilker that she's a keeper.
 
Udder is small; she doesn't seem to be producing much milk at all. How is the calf so darn healthy and energetic?
 
udder size doesn't equate to milk production.. I have a couple with udders that look like socks with a little sand in them and they raise fine calves.. as long as the calf is happy I wouldn't worry about it too much.. feed her well and see if she comes around
 
Nesikep":1v7d2lvp said:
udder size doesn't equate to milk production.. I have a couple with udders that look like socks with a little sand in them and they raise fine calves.. as long as the calf is happy I wouldn't worry about it too much.. feed her well and see if she comes around
Click to expand...

:nod: :nod: :nod:

I have a couple that have small "tight" bags, and the raise a very nice calf each year.
 
Concerning the udder size, it just seems small compared to what she normally has with a calf, and the teats don't seem swelled with milk, but it's apparently providing what the calf needs.
 
herofan":3okif1te said:
Concerning the udder size, it just seems small compared to what she normally has with a calf, and the teats don't seem swelled with milk, but it's apparently providing what the calf needs.
Click to expand...

Is it possible this healthy calf is just constantly nursing her down so you never really see her bag? BTW, congrats on getting her back!
 
Workinonit Farm":3e9qba5n said:
Nesikep":3e9qba5n said:
udder size doesn't equate to milk production.. I have a couple with udders that look like socks with a little sand in them and they raise fine calves.. as long as the calf is happy I wouldn't worry about it too much.. feed her well and see if she comes around
Click to expand...

:nod: :nod: :nod:

I have a couple that have small "tight" bags, and the raise a very nice calf each year.
Click to expand...
One of my best cows (Caddy) had NO bag when she wasn't milking until she was about 5 years old.. in the winter she looked like a heifer
Born in 2006, pic from winter 2011
IMG_5757sm.jpg

Calf she raised that year
IMG_0856sm.jpg
 
Thanks TT
Here's the daughter as a yearling.. she didn't make the big calves to start with but now (5 years old) she's had the biggest calf of the herd twice
IMG_8009sm.jpg
 

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