Help, front leg issue with calf

[reined cow horse gal]

I was given a beef X calf 5-wks ago. She had contracted tendons. (she is now 6-wks old). She was given Noromycin 300 by the breeder and was able to nurse before mama cow left her. I brought her home, and she was given Vit A,D,E, BoSe, Selinium, then later put on LA 200. We splinted her front legs and worked with trying to get her up. She couldn't, so we rigged up a harness and hung her from the barn rafters so she could be in an upright position several times a day. The splints didn't work, she just couldn't get past them to stand, so I took them off and let her work on trying to get up on her own. She really tries! She got a sore on the front of her pasterns where they buckled over. Even with it being padded. So now I am battling sores! She seems to be pretty sore in her front legs really not wanting to put weight on them. Her joints seemed to be a swollen but have gone done. I think they may have been infected?? The LA 200 may have helped that. She got her last injection 4 days ago, not sure if I should continue the LA 200?
I don't know anything about cattle really. I'm a horse gal, but I really want to help this little heifer. She's got a lot of fight in her and she's pretty healthy other than her front legs. She can't straighten them out at all! they bend at the knee and seem to almost be fused there. She has been able to get up on her own now a few times and get around on her knees, then she will try to get up on all fours. She looks like a spider when she stands. Does anyone have any advice on this? Should I call it quits or keep working at it? She is a beautiful heifer and I'm willing to put more into her. Help?

 

[Chuckie]

When you first got the calf, you should have started holding her hoof in one hand, and gently pushing down on the top of the leg to stretch her tendons out. That would have started the process of straightening out her legs. Also flexed her pasterns forward to help loosen the tendons there. It is nothing more than physical therapy. This is not an uncommon thing. Some will straighten out on their own, but most people go out and work on the calf if they take care of their stock.
A vet should have told you this. I have had one born this way, and it worked within a day or two. Many people here talk about it.

The calf being 6 weeks old now, I am afraid that it's tendons have grown fixed to the length they will always be. But I am not a doctor.
If you pull try what I mentioned above on the calf now, and there is no give to the leg, then this will be a cruel way for the calf to live.
A new bottle bottle baby heifer from the sale barn will be easily bought if you enjoyed this one and would like to start messing with cattle.

Too bad that you didn't find this forum earlier as many here could have helped direct you.
Since you enjoyed her so much, go get two more heifers, as they need company, and get into raising calves.