What would you do ?

[Joy of Texas]

I got a call Tues. evening. A friend said she has this calf that is not hers. They own around 150 head of angus, brahmas and herefords. Here is this little longhorn heifer out in her pasture trying to nurse off of any cow that will let her. She said it showed up there sunday evening.It still has it's umbilical cord So I know it's just a few days old.
She asked if I would take her . Well,I didn't say yes ,yet. Some of my other friends went looking for any cattle with in 5 miles of her property. There are none. One guy has 2 angus heifers he's feeding. But they are in a pen.
So the question is would you take the calf ? I've been going to house twice a day to feed it. The calf is in fairly good shape.

 

[angie1]

Why not? I would take her if I had the time and the desire and wanted to mess with it. Maybe should keep reciepts on whatever you buy to feed her in case someone shows up for her but I would be surprised if they did.

 

[backhoeboogie]

The calf may have been a twin and abandonned. Cow could have calved and the owner's don't even know - and thus don't know to look.

I think you are supposed to run an add in the local paper to see if anyone claims it. I tried that with no success.

No matter what you do, there is no harm in helping it survive. Sounds like it has the will to live since it is trying to nurse any cow that will let it. Give her a chance.

 

[Caustic Burno]

It goes with the territory take the calf and if someone claims it give it back with a smile. I refuse to watch one suffer.

 

[C HOLLAND]

Joy, I would take a calf like that in a heartbeat, like CB said if someone comes looking for it later. Give it back and maybe they will return the favor one day.

 

[grannysoo]

Keep on feeding...........

If the "rightful owner" ever comes to claim it, then so be it.

 

[TexLonghornRanch]

Keep the calf, but report it to the Sheriff's Dept, call first, then drop a note in the mail. Best to have something in writing.


:lol:


Cattle rustling is still a hanging offense in Texas! :lol:

 

[Hippie Rancher]

How do you know it is a longhorn at that age? Those three could easily throw strange colors/markings.

 

[backhoeboogie]

How do you know it is a longhorn at that age? Those three could easily throw strange colors/markings.

You are right Hippie. Or else one of the 150 cows was bred to the wrong thing, maybe had twins - there are many possibilities. Has me wondering if it is a closed herd or cows bought bred/visiting bull etc. That steer that showed up on my place had to have come from miles away. These things get mysterious.

 

[Joy of Texas]

It goes with the territory take the calf and if someone claims it give it back with a smile. I refuse to watch one suffer.

CB,anyone that knows me ,know I will never let an animal suffer. I brought her home today. I'll try to take pictures hippie,you will see......
I did call the sheriff dept.. They said to keep all reciepts on her. If, the owner is found they said I could collect. I would just give her back. The sheriff went out and helped us to try and located the owners. Nothing !
It is a strange case indeed. I was going to tell God if he is going to drop calves in peoples pasture. Could he please make them beefmasters

 

[Susie David]

Good plan....a fella could be tempted to stick an iron on her.
DMc

 

[Joy of Texas]

How do you know it is a longhorn at that age? Those three could easily throw strange colors/markings.

You are right Hippie. Or else one of the 150 cows was bred to the wrong thing, maybe had twins - there are many possibilities. Has me wondering if it is a closed herd or cows bought bred/visiting bull etc. That steer that showed up on my place had to have come from miles away. These things get mysterious.

Well,the youngest calf they have on the property is about a month old. Solid black mom and dad too. I don't know guys maybe it's aliens......Maybe they could drop off beefmaster too.

 

[warpaint]

Joy,
Your doin the right thing.

As a Longhorn breeder, I find it hard to believe, (even if it is a free martin) somebody would just drop her.

Maybe this is a lil nudge from on High, you should be raising Longhorns. :lol:

 

[travlnusa]

There have been 4 times that odd cows/herds will show up at our place. We will get them in the fence and move them to the front pasture by the road. In each case, someone showed up to claim them.

What I have always admired is when they picked them up, they have all asked if any fences, water tanks, etc, were harmed and needed to be repaired.

I always tell them no, as the day will come when they are chasing my cows.

 

[Joy of Texas]

How do you know it is a longhorn at that age? Those three could easily throw strange colors/markings.

Ok hippie check her out. I do believe she is a longhorn .

Update : I'm not sure what's going on with this little thing. She was taking her bottle so good for 3 days. Then she just flat refuse to suck. So I have been tubing her.She's fighting me all the way.About half of the milk will go into her ,then she forces it plus whatever is in her stomach back up into the bottle. I've never had one to do this.
She is drinking about a gallon of water a day and she is eating feed and hay.

 

[bigbull338]

ok i think i know what part of the problem.if she is drinking a gallon of water a day.she is filling her belly.an shes to full to drink all her milk.try cutting her back to 1 bottle of water a day.an see if that helps her drink all her milk.how much feed is she eating a day.

 

[Joy of Texas]

Ok ,thanks bigbull. I'll try that and see what happens.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Have the vet test the fecal for cryptospoidia or colstidial type C or D
NOt sure which one.
There is a thing, it a type of scours, poop may be yet to come. What happens is a calf goes without milk for a short period of time. Could be over night or all day. Then gorges itself on the milk at the next feeding or two. Calf goes off the milk and gets sick. If i remember correctly it's a parasite and can cause nasty sickness.
This can happen say during a storm and the calves are in the shelters refusing to go out and suck, then the storm passes the mommas bag is full and they gorge themselves on the milk and then get sick real hard and fast.
just a thought.

 

[rockridgecattle]

oh yeah cute baby

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Speaking from my latest attempt... my Li'l Orphan Annie sucked down 2 quarts of colostrom and then milk replacer for the first 3 days and then refused to eat so I tubed her and boy did she sound full...

...I cut back to 2 1/2 pints (a little over a quart) for the next 2 feedings but mixed it up with the same amount of powder... all the nutrition but not the liquid volume...

...I did the reduced feedings for a day then went to 3 pints twice the next day,

..and now we're back up to 2 quarts twice per day of milk replacer

...the little thing is likely getting liquid full, but sure is a cutie!