frozen calf

[George Monk]

I don't know how others handle this situation but it seems to work for me.

We had a heifer that I check at 10pm calve the following morning. Temp was in the low teens and when I found her at 6:30 the calf was pretty well gone. Barely moving her legs and the gum line was pretty blue. When I picked her up only a small moan and limp but a little stiff. Ran her down to the house and gave it a warm/hot shower. After about a while she started shivering and then I continued to shower her for a while longer. She started to move a lot better and seemed to try to get up a little but was really weak. Got the show blower out and dried her off and then had to defer to a GREAT friend who came over so I wouldn't be late to work. He got a little colostrum in her and then came back around noon and slipped two egss. I came home at lunch to see him hauling the calf back to momma. The calf was standing and keeping its balance in the back of his pickup. What a great sight. Any way we saved the little girl. I have to be thankful for a nice calf but also for great friends.

 

[Suzie Q]

Yay a happy ending. Thank you for sharing.

 

[gizmom]

I love happy endings! It is a blessing to have good friends! We don't have to worry about calves freezing in our area it sounds like your plan was a good one!

 

[Isomade]

Congrats on the calf. Sounds like you have a good buddy too.

 

[dun]

Only thing to watch our for is that after freezing they have a tendency to shed their hoofs.

 

[MO_cows]

You have a good friend there! Congrats on saving the calf.

 

[Victoria]

Glad you saved her and that you have a good friend like that. As Dun said, watch those hooves. If we have one with severe hypothermia we use a bath to warm it but always start off with cool water and gradual warm it up, that lessens the chance of losing hooves, tails, etc.