need advice on staggering heifer

kenojoe · Apr 29, 2006

I just found one of my heifers on the hillside with a new calf. Don,t know when she calved other than sometime between 10:00 pm last night and 6:30am this morning. The heifer couldn't get up and calf hadn't been cleaned. we decided to spin the heifer around so her feet were pointing down hill and she finally got up and started cleaning off her calf. Calf is trying to nurse. Question is, the heifer is staggering around like shes drunk. Any idea on whats wrong. Thanks for any help.

dun · Apr 29, 2006

Milk fever, a little soon for that or a pinched nerve from calving. Also a possibility of grass ttany.

dun

Anonymous · Apr 29, 2006

dun has it- grass tetany or pinched nerve is my guess. back end isn't locked up is it?

Ronald Boggess · Apr 29, 2006

I have had that happen a few times. I believe they were all pinched nerve.

kenojoe · Apr 30, 2006

The heifer is doing much better today. One of my neighbors stopped by agreed with your guess about a pinched nerve. Said she'd probably lay around a bit more than usual for a day or two the be back to normal. Thanks alot for the responses. Joe