Blind and weak calf

Nid83

I have a calf that was very weak at birth and blind. He is improving however I'm wondering did anyone ever see or have same problem, if so how did you sort it out?

mallethead

We had one a few years back
she was ten weeks early ,couldn't see a thing or stand she came right about three weeks later and never looked back
A lot of tlc

Future Farmer

Ye same, once got going she stayed going, lots of tlc, kept with youngest stock (moved down twice I think)

The mother's pet...

whisky_galore

Had one born with no eyes years ago (no eyeballs, just slits where they were supposed to be) brought him outside eventually and kept him in a field together with a heifer that hurt herself climbing a ditch.
They got on well together, he'd follow her around and find the water trough for him. After a while he must've built up a mental picture of the field and he'd get around fine without bumping into too many things.

Base price

Had one years ago that came with a bunch of calves that we bought. Farmer was going to get him put down and gave him to me for free. Kept him in the paddock beside the house and he went into the sheds with other cattle for the winter. Lots of tlc.
I did feel guilty when he was sent to the factory as was a pet.

larrymiller

whisky_galore wrote: »

Had one born with no eyes years ago (no eyeballs, just slits where they were supposed to be) brought him outside eventually and kept him in a field together with a heifer that hurt herself climbing a ditch.
They got on well together, he'd follow her around and find the water trough for him. After a while he must've built up a mental picture of the field and he'd get around fine without bumping into too many things.

U should of kept moving the fence

jimini0

I fostered a blind calf when I was a 10. Farmer up the road was going to put her down. Dad brought her home, we fitted her with a an old pony harness. We milked a cow and bucket fed the calf. She strengthened up in no time. Neighbours gave me there garden for her to graze.we got a good rode and staked her safely in the middle. I walked her everywhere when moving gardens. She went on to have the finest of calves. Sadly she died giving birth to her 6th calf. Oh the memories.
Anyways I don't think any young fella will go to that Hassel these days. When my young fella is older I would love him to do something simular .
What usually happens blind calves these days????????????

A cow called Daisy

mallethead wrote: »

We had one a few years back
she was ten weeks early ,couldn't see a thing or stand she came right about three weeks later and never looked back
A lot of tlc

Love the choice of words:D

grazeaway

Had one a few years back. But she died after a few weeks found out she had melengitis.

Had one when we were kids, dad was going have him put down but a neighbour said he would take him. SimX bullock and he lived out his days down the road. Neighbour had a small farm so he left the lad in a field by the house and he worked his away around it. He used to bring in heifers and cows for him to bull and had him for about 10 years. Was like a pet and he was gutted when died. I remember he used to throw great calves.

KatyMac

jimini0 wrote: »

I fostered a blind calf when I was a 10. Farmer up the road was going to put her down. Dad brought her home, we fitted her with a an old pony harness. We milked a cow and bucket fed the calf. She strengthened up in no time. Neighbours gave me there garden for her to graze.we got a good rode and staked her safely in the middle. I walked her everywhere when moving gardens. She went on to have the finest of calves. Sadly she died giving birth to her 6th calf. Oh the memories.
Anyways I don't think any young fella will go to that Hassel these days. When my young fella is older I would love him to do something simular .
What usually happens blind calves these days????????????

My mother was a great one for bringing on calves and lambs that my father had given up on.
We reared a premature heifer in our kitchen. She was born approx. 7 weeks early and was a sad looking thing. Put up a heat lamp, wrapped her in blankets. she was fed every 2 hours a tiny amount of milk at a go. At about 4 weeks she stood up for the first time. She shed what looked like all her skin like dandruff. And then she was put out in a comfy shed with the lamp and fed more like an ordinary suck calf. When I think of the amount of work that was put into her, but it worked as she lived to a ripe old age and gave good calves. We were milking at the time (bucket plant!! those were the days!!) and she was every bit as good as any of the rest of the cows.
The same with a lamb that was practically gone. I carried her home under my jumper, put her in the cool Stanley oven until she warmed up a bit. Drop of whiskey/milk and then into a box in the corner of the kitchen with a lamp, for feeding every couple of hours. I called her Lambchops because of her time in the oven. Was put with the young calves and lived out the rest of her life convinced she was a cow. She was happy as long as we had a whitehead animal for her to keep company with. She used to visit a neighbours ram every year on her own and come back in lamb. I think we kept her for a lot longer than the average sheep is kept.

It all comes down to TLC and having the time/energy to give them every chance.