One day old calf can't walk

[Tom D]

Howdy guys and gals...

I've got a calf that is now 1 day old and can't walk. Thankfully the momma cow had it in the corral (of all places). She will try to stand. Her front legs are fine, the problem is the back legs. At first I thought they were paralyzed, but she can move them. If you help her up and hold some of her weight as she trys to walk but both back legs will take a step at the same time so basically, she is trying to hop like a rabbit.

Since she can't stand, she can't nurse, so last night we got 2 quarts down her from a neighboring rancher who milked one of his cows who recently had a calf. This morning she was still down and all this day. We finally got her mamma set up in the squeeze chute (loaned to us from the same neighbor) and held the calf steady as she drank all she wanted (a whole lot). The little bugger was swelled up like a tick and a lot stronger and resting

What I plan on doing now is trying to keep milk in her and seeing if she will find her feet in the next few days. I just wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem, how it turned out, any tips or any advice. Wouldn't you know this is the first calf I've ever had to deal with. Another cow had a calf yesterday also. Thankfully, it is drinking milk and walking.

 

[milkmaid]

She'll probably straighten out in a day or so and walk fine. I had an extremely long legged heifer calf last spring that just couldn't seem to figure out how to use her legs at first. :lol: Took a day or so for her to learn.

 

[Rookie]

Howdy guys and gals...

I've got a calf that is now 1 day old and can't walk. Thankfully the momma cow had it in the corral (of all places). She will try to stand. Her front legs are fine, the problem is the back legs. At first I thought they were paralyzed, but she can move them. If you help her up and hold some of her weight as she trys to walk but both back legs will take a step at the same time so basically, she is trying to hop like a rabbit.

Since she can't stand, she can't nurse, so last night we got 2 quarts down her from a neighboring rancher who milked one of his cows who recently had a calf. This morning she was still down and all this day. We finally got her mamma set up in the squeeze chute (loaned to us from the same neighbor) and held the calf steady as she drank all she wanted (a whole lot). The little bugger was swelled up like a tick and a lot stronger and resting

What I plan on doing now is trying to keep milk in her and seeing if she will find her feet in the next few days. I just wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem, how it turned out, any tips or any advice. Wouldn't you know this is the first calf I've ever had to deal with. Another cow had a calf yesterday also. Thankfully, it is drinking milk and walking.

hope that bottle ya got the calf ta drink was colostrum.

george

 

[dun]

Hate to sound like a broken record, but a shot of selenium might help. I've been amazed in the past at what a difference it makes even if the calf is necesarrilly selenium deficient.

dun

 

[Beefy]

Hate to sound like a broken record, but a shot of selenium might help. I've been amazed in the past at what a difference it makes even if the calf is necesarrilly selenium deficient.

dun

Dun
i'm going to get me some of this miracle shot you all rave about. but if the calf is not selenium deficient couldnt i kill it? i dont know if our area is deficient or not.

 

[Dee]

I had a calf last year that was backwards in a down cow. Hard pull. He didn't learn to walk till he was over 2 weeks old. The ag store had a "sling" to put new born calves in to hang them on a scale. $12. Hung him up in the barn a few times a day and he eventually got the hang of it. Two people with a towel under it's belly will work also.

 

[milkmaid]

Hate to sound like a broken record, but a shot of selenium might help. I've been amazed in the past at what a difference it makes even if the calf is necesarrilly selenium deficient.

dun

Dun
i'm going to get me some of this miracle shot you all rave about. but if the calf is not selenium deficient couldnt i kill it? i dont know if our area is deficient or not.

It could kill a calf/cow. Not sure what the level of toxicity is though. Better check with your vet or local ag office first to see if the area's deficient in selenium or not.

My area is deficient in selenium, but I usually underdose and give more than one shot, rather than risk over-doing it.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

You gotta fire in alot of selenium to OD. Most folks only give 1cc of selenium to a slower calf and see if that helps. If it doesn't help, it likely won't hurt. At worst, it may slow the calf down for a couple days. A cc of A,D,E likely wouldn't hurt either.

You don't mention it, but are the legs bowed at all? If so, then I'd say its white muscle disease and you definitely need the selenium and ADE.

Rod

 

[Tom D]

hope that bottle ya got the calf ta drink was colostrum.
george

The first night, we were glad to get anything in the poor thing. The cow we got the milk from had in the past 3 days (I think) had had a calf. Today was the first time it's mama nursed the calf. It had been about 24 hours after it was born. We were going to use the other cow that had a calf to feed it since it has quite a bag on her and is much more managable, so I caught her and penned her and her calf until we could get the chute. We tried to get it's mama first though since that would be best and thankfully, after a couple of hours, we got her in the chute. That is one crazy cow. We had to throw a rope around her horns and drag her through the chute into the squeeze, and that was the easy part. Tomorrow I'll try coaxing her into position. Obviously forcing her isn't going to work and I've had success in the past using that method.

The calf tries to walk and it seems it just needs a little more strength in the hindquarters. It can get up but it's hind end will start to lean and she'll start to fall. Her hind legs tend to stand right next to each other and sometimes will cross. I'll reach down and reposition her legs into a more stable stance when I am leading her around and supporting her when she starts to fall. I've slapped both legs and she definatly has feeling in both and I can feel twitching muscles from exhertion in both of them when she stands and she can move both.

I guess all I can do is give her time and keep the food coming. I was wondering, it might be hard to wrestle her mama into position multiple times a day, especially in the dark. So, could I suppliment what she gets from her mother with a bottle and a suitable "formula" (for lack of a better word). Hopefully I won't have to worry about that, but I might need to be prepared.

 

[Beefy]

IF you get the mama back in the chute, i recommend getting as much milk from her in a bottle as you can.

 

[Tom D]

You don't mention it, but are the legs bowed at all? If so, then I'd say its white muscle disease and you definitely need the selenium and ADE.

Rod

I am pretty sure the legs are straight. I did notice the hip looks a little off to me, but I don't have much experiance in this. It just seemed one side stuck out just a bit more than the other. The neighboring rancher thought the problem might be a little nerve damage in the leg.

Dee- My neighbor mentioned making a sling out of used round baler's belt(s). Don't have many places to hang it. So far the

 

[msscamp]

hope that bottle ya got the calf ta drink was colostrum.
george

The first night, we were glad to get anything in the poor thing. The cow we got the milk from had in the past 3 days (I think) had had a calf. Today was the first time it's mama nursed the calf. It had been about 24 hours after it was born. .

Sounds like you've got problems. A cow does not produce colostrum past about 48 hours after calving and a calf cannot utilize the antibodies in the colostrum past 24 hours. Based on your post, I'm thinking this calf has not received any colostrum and the chances of he/she doing well are substantially diminished because of that. The sooner you can get colostrum down them, the better they can utilize the antibodies in it.

 

[milkmaid]

Hard birth?

The calf I had had such long legs I don't believe she stood for several days. She just couldn't figure out how to coordinate everything in a way to keep herself up. Front legs, back legs, head - just couldn't figure out how to balance. LOL.

Calf really only needs to be fed twice a day. So no need to pen that cow more than twice a day.

Ditto to what msscamp said on the colostrum - but it certainly doesn't mean the calf's chances are zero. I've gotten them to make it before.

On second thought - I think I'd milk the cow first in a bottle, then let the calf drink what is left - as you said this is your first calf, I'd suggest taking all the steps you can to prevent scours. Too much milk will cause it for sure. They don't know when to stop. Calf really only needs 1 gallon total per day. Milk out two quarters on that cow - same side - make a guess as to how much is in the other side, and then don't let the calf have too much.

 

[msscamp]

Hard birth?

Ditto to what msscamp said on the colostrum - but it certainly doesn't mean the calf's chances are zero. I've gotten them to make it before.

You're right, it doesn't mean the calfs chances are zero. Does this sound familiar, Milkmaid? :lol: TomD, I'm not laughing at you or your problems with this calf, simply an ongoing, private source of amusement between Milkmaid and me - God love her, she is an amazing lady! Stick around long enough and you will know what I mean.

 

[jkwilson]

i'm going to get me some of this miracle shot you all rave about. but if the calf is not selenium deficient couldnt i kill it? i dont know if our area is deficient or not.

Here's amap showing which areas of the US and Canada my have selenium problems.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Hmmmm, I wonder how old that map is? Either the environment has changed or whats considered adequate selenium has changed. According to it, my area and surrounding areas are adequate in Selenium, which just isn't so. My ag rep had a map that showed a major portion of northern and central Sask to be inadequate in selenium.

Rod

 

[jkwilson]

Hmmmm, I wonder how old that map is? Either the environment has changed or whats considered adequate selenium has changed. According to it, my area and surrounding areas are adequate in Selenium, which just isn't so. My ag rep had a map that showed a major portion of northern and central Sask to be inadequate in selenium.

Rod

It is an older map, but the only one I can find. It also doesn't show much detail, so small areas of high or low levels aren't visible.

 

[milkmaid]

Hard birth?

Ditto to what msscamp said on the colostrum - but it certainly doesn't mean the calf's chances are zero. I've gotten them to make it before.

You're right, it doesn't mean the calfs chances are zero. Does this sound familiar, Milkmaid? :lol:

:lol: Oh yes, very familiar. I've ended up with a few of those hard luck cases. ;-)

 

[Tom D]

Sounds like you've got problems. A cow does not produce colostrum past about 48 hours after calving and a calf cannot utilize the antibodies in the colostrum past 24 hours. Based on your post, I'm thinking this calf has not received any colostrum and the chances of he/she doing well are substantially diminished because of that. The sooner you can get colostrum down them, the better they can utilize the antibodies in it.

Well, thanks for telling me so I know at least. It was about 24 hours after birth when we got her mamma's milk in her. I did get her to feed off her mother today. It only took 10 minutes to get her in the chute using a cube or two as bait vs. over an hour of trying to force her in like yesterday.

I can't count on it being that easy every time though. Of course I have to help hold the calf up while she drinks and sometimes guide her to the teat. I hit all 4 and pulled the calf off when I felt like she had enough though she didn't agree. Watching that tail wag while she sucked the milk down was almost rewarding enough to make up from being peed on and pooped on while helping her nurse.... almost.

Here is a question, should I get her up as much as possible and walk her around or should I leave it to the calf to try to get it's legs going on it's own.

Thanks for tellling me to not let the calf not drink too much. It makes sense. How much/how often should it be fed?

Lastly, it is supposed to rain monday. Normally I wouldn't think twice about a cow/calf being exposed to the elements, but I am wondering if I should make a shelter for it since it will be on the ground.

 

[milkmaid]

Here is a question, should I get her up as much as possible and walk her around or should I leave it to the calf to try to get it's legs going on it's own.

Thanks for tellling me to not let the calf not drink too much. It makes sense. How much/how often should it be fed?

Lastly, it is supposed to rain monday. Normally I wouldn't think twice about a cow/calf being exposed to the elements, but I am wondering if I should make a shelter for it since it will be on the ground.

#1 - get her up at least twice a day. They need to stand. More than twice - say four times during the day - would be ideal.

#2 - on a bottle calf, you'd feed 1/2 gallon per feeding at two feedings per day. Total of 1 gallon a day. Where the calf is drinking off the cow it's hard to say for sure how much she's getting. I wouldn't bother feeding more than twice a day unless you really have a lot of free time and nothing else to do. LOL. =)

#3 - do you have a shed? barn? garage? take the calf under shelter if/when it starts to look like rain. Calf does not neccessarily have to be in the same pen as the cow. Adjacent to the cow's pen would be best - for instance in a barn or shed - but if not, take the calf in your garage, if you have one. If you leave that calf out in the elements and it gets soaked and damp, you're going to have problems, guaranteed. I'm assuming this calf is on straw or some kind of absorbent bedding right now, not just mud/dirt?