:compute: I have a 3yr old herferd x, bred her with a black angus bull , mon. she had a little red/wht face heifer. The calf was term fully developed hairy little thing but tiny, tiny, tiny she probably weighs 40#, acts normal though. Should I be watching out for something with calf or mama, this was her first calf we bred her last yr, but she didn't take. Cute spunky little calf though.
tiny calf
- Thread starter wood2
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If she's eating good, bodily functions are right and she acts normal, I wouldn;t worry about her. I would just keep an eye on her, but calves that small tend to make me a bit paranoid about the what ifs.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
make sure they have a warm place to go unless you are in an area that is warm out already
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
the premies that we have had were due to herd fighting. we know this cause we see the herd fight, and one of the cows involved would slip a premature calf. always alive, while we are calving the rest of the herd. Th other factor was a slip of the feet on spring ice.
When we called the vet on the little guy we had on the weekend, she said that if it were more than one or two, she would recommend a pannel of the cow and the calf to see if it were a disease that caused it. But if it was just one, probably an accident of some kind.
She also said that it was normal in a herd our size to have one, not uncommon. As well she said that there could be a possiblilty that the cow can not carry a calf to term, something wrong with the uterus. She said to give a second chance to the cow.
RR
When we called the vet on the little guy we had on the weekend, she said that if it were more than one or two, she would recommend a pannel of the cow and the calf to see if it were a disease that caused it. But if it was just one, probably an accident of some kind.
She also said that it was normal in a herd our size to have one, not uncommon. As well she said that there could be a possiblilty that the cow can not carry a calf to term, something wrong with the uterus. She said to give a second chance to the cow.
RR
Might be she's just genetically small. CB talks about calves that "get here the size of a housecat"... well, when I was visiting relatives last week I realized that's the type of calves they like too. Little buggers that even the heaviest won't top 50lbs - I know, because I brought a sick calf in and was amazed how tiny she was. As it was phrased to me, "I want those cows to be able to spit 'em out sideways if they want to." :lol:
'Course, in your case, nutrition in the last trimester will influence calf size. What was she eating?
'Course, in your case, nutrition in the last trimester will influence calf size. What was she eating?
HEREFORD ROADHOG
Well-known member
now thats what i call low birth wt, for calving ease . :cboy:
