I think the word has gotten out!

francismilker · #1 10/06/09, 08:23 PM

Twice in the last two months I've inherited orphan calves from local beef farmers who know I own nurse cows and they don't want to fool with bottle-feeding. The first one, a nice looking hereford bull calf was about 2 days old when his dam went down. He latched on to the cow good and I turned them loose to get on with life. It only took about a week for him to start showing signs of joint-ill. Apparently he hadn't gotten any or enough colostrum. He's been medicated with about everything I know to try and hasn't gotten any better. I may have to put him down.

Today, while sleeping during the day because I'm on the night shift right now, I awoke to an extra calf in the lot and a new voicemail from an acquaintance saying, "I didn't want to wake you up because you were sleeping. His mama died and he needs a new one. You've got one so he's yours. Merry Christmas!". So, I introduced him to a cow that was more than willing to let him nurse. I called the fellow to ask him some questions on the history of the calf so I know what I'm dealing with and all he can tell me is, "I think he's about two-three days old and I had to shoot him mama this morning.". He doesn't know if the calf got colostrum now or not. It's too late to do anything about it if he didn't so I may end up having to put another down due to joint-ill.

While I don't mind taking on these little projects, I wish folks would make the determination a little sooner as to if they want to give them away. Otherwise, they're giving me a perpetual problem.

Being in an area without any diarys in existance anymore, I'm the only person within several miles that has any critters that even resemble a dairy cow. I think the word has gotten out that I'm glutten for punishment and have a big heart for calves.

**gone-a-milkin** · #2 10/06/09, 08:28 PM

Free is free, right? LOL. Kinda sneaky, leaving it in your yard like that..good luck with him!

LibertyWool · #3 10/06/09, 08:42 PM

Can you do plasma transfusions in colostrum deprived calves like they do for llama/alpaca crias? Just wondering.....

francismilker · #4 10/06/09, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LibertyWool

Can you do plasma transfusions in colostrum deprived calves like they do for llama/alpaca crias? Just wondering.....

I have absolutely no clue????? A bit more high faluten than the normal LA-200 vet work I'm used to. Lol.....

myersfarm · #5 10/06/09, 10:24 PM

If you could on calfs I am sure the word would have got out....but we can hope it would work

Ken Scharabok · #6 10/07/09, 04:26 AM

Talk to your local vet about a problem with joint-ill. I'm a bit surprised it is in your area since OK isn't known for having iodine-deficient soils. Perhaps the calves need a bulbus (sp?) with iodine in it.

In humans a lack of iodine can cause goiter and the Great Lakes States and going westward were once known as the Goiter Belt. Essentially stopped with the introduction of iodinized table salt.

francismilker · #7 10/07/09, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Talk to your local vet about a problem with joint-ill. I'm a bit surprised it is in your area since OK isn't known for having iodine-deficient soils. Perhaps the calves need a bulbus (sp?) with iodine in it.

In humans a lack of iodine can cause goiter and the Great Lakes States and going westward were once known as the Goiter Belt. Essentially stopped with the introduction of iodinized table salt.

Ken,
My vet was out preg checking all the beef cows last month and I had him take a look at the calf while he was there. He suspected joint-ill and we discussed the use of iodine with naval dipping post-birth. It was interesting to me because he was at a recent seminar at OK State Vet School and they are doing a study on whether on not iodine naval dipping is actually a deterant for the joint-ill. He said so far tests are concluding the iodine dipping isn't a major contributing factor. I'm interested to see the final results. However, I'll still probably dip when I'm handy after a birth.

Cannon_Farms · #8 10/07/09, 10:40 AM

Geeze and Ive been asking all my cattle customers since last winter for an orphan and still dont have a calf.
Good luck with the little feller, hope he recovers.

Mind you Im cow stupid hence why I never post here, but ester c has done some amazing things with dogs with pano/hod and even goats with cae, just a thought from some one thats not even sure what you are exactly talking about.