the new calf (and problems with him)

You know, I have a friend who brought a calf home straight from the dairy a few years ago, had had colostrum and everything, and it still died. I have to say I was concerned when the farmer told all the different things they did to try to keep them alive. It didn't sound positive.

Still, I've had good luck with dairy calves in the past, I just have also had the occasional bad luck. I have two very healthy two year olds out front right now that are ready for a freezer.

Yeah, we've gotten bottle calves too that had been on the bottle quite awhile and they still died on us. I didn't try bottle calves for a long time after that. Then we got a few more and I thought we were going to lose them for awhile, but they pulled through. I always wondered why bottle baby lambs and goats are so easy and calves so difficult?

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"Be still sad heart, and cease repining. Behind the clouds, the sun is shining. Thy fate is the common fate of all. Into each life, a little rain must fall." -Longfellow

I wonder that, too. When we had our field leased out to cattle, I was amazed at how the cows labored and delivered unattended, sometimes in bad weather, and those calves got up almost immediately and ran across the fields following their dams. Only times I can think of that there was a problem was once a cow had twins and left one, and once the black headed vultures got a calf. But dropped out there in the pasture they seemed to always be healthy.

As far as the Holsteins go, I don't think I've ever brought home a black and white calf that didn't die. The dark brown and white ones have thrived, making me think the crosses do much better than the purebred.