Knuckled over

[Beefy]

Pulled a calf yesterday (it was a heifer and i never pull heifer calves!) and everything was normal except it was hiplocked but we couldnt get her to turn. anyway, we got her out with the help of the calf jack (always take it with you even if you dont think you will need to use it). Cows fine, a little wobbly on one leg but getting around good. The problem is the calf. Her back feet seem to be knuckled over. ive been loosening the tendons by moving them and massaging them. she can move both legs and flick her tail but just cant use the back feet yet. they are warm, so thats good. any ideas? shes got megaquads. glutes too.

Also how come the heifers that look like they have a tiny calf inside always have monsters and the enormous heifer that you are sure you will have to assist has a normal calf easily? anyone else noticed this?

 

[ffamom]

Our hip locked calf was the same way. It took him about a 14 hours to stand. Thank goodnes the cow was a show heifer and let us easily milk her. After the second day, he was trying to run around. It seems that hip locked calves have some swelling around their femoral nerve. It takes a couple of days for the swelling to go down. The vet also told us that the tendons and ligaments may have some damage as well. We gave ours 1cc of banimine in the muscle per the vet to help with the inflammation. This increased his mobility by leaps and bounds. Were were supposed to give it to him for another day, but he couldn't catch him. I guess he didn't need that second injection.

 

[bigbull338]

the calf knuckled under b/c of the hard pull an stress on its back leggs.if its knuckled under real bad could take a wk or so to walk right.i noticed where you used a calf jack to pull the calf.did you ever pick calrs front leggs up anflipp her from side to side.yo unlock her hipps inside the cow.if done that o alot of big bull calves an was able to pull them by hand with ease.an what you described has me thinking the calf was just hipplocked.an if youd half turned her in the cow.nost likely you could of pulled her without using the calf jack.

 

[Beefy]

thats what i normally do. i was unable to. my dad was unable to and we both together were unable to for whatever reason. calf jack was the last option

 

[milkmaid]

She able to walk on the hoof at all or is she completely knuckled onto the fetlock joint with no extension?

If she's able to stand on the hoof I'd just leave her alone. Front legs I'll mess with, hind legs I don't. They've always seemed to straighten up on their own a few days.

 

[ONLY-BEEF]

Miss milkmaid has it right.

 

[Beefy]

no she cant walk on it b/c they both are so knuckled over she cant balance her self, at all. its all the way to the fetlock. her left one was over her right one in the womb and they were both bent back like that is what i think b/c thats the position she always reverts to. but today i got her standing on her right one normally (some). we also scooted around on them some to give her a little confidence. gotta love that small heifer/big calf combo. shes doing good. shes black with a few roan spots on her, sometimes i call her Tutie b/c she tries to scoot around but mostly b/c she reminds me of kim fields.

 

[Beefy]

i got 3/4 a bottle of colostrum in her yesterday but she wouldnt take much of anything today. shes overly dramatic when it comes to pooping--very vocal. everything came out normal, but got a little watery as the day went on. she is standing better and can walk a few steps before knuckling over and falling back down. i think shes progressing, now i wish shed eat more.

 

[ONLY-BEEF]

Good luck with that ther calf mister Beefy. ya know once cooky went ta foolen with a calf simler ta yuren. i kept on a tellen him he was wasten his time on it. ifen the dang calf dident live ta call me out. ifen it wernt for cooky the dang thing a been dead. i ended up given it to em at weanen.

 

[SEC]

I have had that happen twice.
First time 2 years ago, a calf came backwards, pulled it easily. It was about 20-25F in the barn. Next day, splinted the fetlocks straight. 3 weeks later I shot the calf, back legs didn't get enough circulation and froze. I thought it that happens again I will take them inside.

Had another calf get off to a slow start and never was buckled over but didn't get moving and it didn't get enough circulation going and ended up freezing it's back legs also.

Just brutal!

 

[Beefy]

that sucks. i might have the opposite problem with a black calf and temps in the 90's. i think i'll have her up and going tomorrow afternoon.