Free heifer offered to us; however....

Jcran · #1 04/26/11, 09:41 PM

The folks who currently have my daughter's Jersey heifer at their place being bred called. We are getting ready to bring Miss Lucy home, and they said they have a buddy for her. They've got a November heifer that has funky legs. The vet said she could be splinted and would be ok, but they don't have the time to do it. Now I haven't seen her, but the wife is madly in love with her and the husband wants her to go to the knackers. Anyone with experience out there? She won't ever be a show cow but she'd be a good homestead cow down the road. We are going to go look at her this week, but I've never dealt with splints, etc. Also, is it too late to splint if she's 5 months old?

**gone-a-milkin** · #2 04/26/11, 09:52 PM

"funky legs" could mean a few different things.
It is impossible to advise you w/o seeing pics.

All 4 legs or which? Swollen knees, bowed tendons, etc?
Too many variables for me to speculate.

Try very dilligently to remain objective!

My gut instinct? Dont do it.

Jcran · #3 04/26/11, 09:56 PM

Oh, objective is unfortunately my least best skill...however, I AM good at reading hay and grain bills, so I'll probably talk to the vet FIRST. I hear its just her front legs. I'll try to tak pictures.

wr · #4 04/26/11, 10:05 PM

Did the vet actually look at her or is speculating? If the matter can be resolved with splints, I'm left to wonder why the owner didn't give it try instead of waiting 5 months and handing her off to someone else.

genebo · #5 04/26/11, 10:42 PM

I bought my very first calf, which was the last remaining orphan calf on a farm that was selling out. The owner said, "By the way, the dog goes with the calf."

Roxanne turned out to be a great dog, an Australian Cattle Dog trained to handle stock. Sometimes you get lucky.

springvalley · #6 04/26/11, 11:16 PM

I also say can`t make that call without seeing the calf, could be a diamond in the rough, or a dry well you throw money down. > Thanks Marc

**gone-a-milkin** · #7 04/27/11, 12:32 AM

If it is just the front legs you may want to research 'navel ill' in calves just to be aware of what that looks like.

Jcran · #8 04/27/11, 10:04 AM

I just heard about the offer on Sunday when I called to arrange to pick up the bred heifer...the owner talked to me about it (from what I gathered they did take it in to the vet) but said they didn't have the time to deal with it. It must be able to get around since its 5 months old, but it sounds like its just running loose in the calf pen area and gets the left over milk still, etc. I guess they haven't turned it out with the weaned calves since its legs are funky? Maybe we'll get out there today to look at it.

trbizwiz · #9 04/27/11, 10:53 AM

I dont know I would breed it. Those genetics are better stopped there. But my dad buys a cull calf every year at auction. He raises and finishes them in two years, I can say they all taste the same. SOme have had a bad leg or two. SOme even so bad they walk sideways. But they mamage to graze and grow. Some not as quickly as others. It might seem tempting to breed her for milk, but I would avoid much longer than a two ot year life span. Depending on level of finish, and I definitely would avoid reproducing those genetics.
If shecant graze or is a grain burner, take her to town or put her on craigslist. You wont get hurt on her

francismilker · #10 04/27/11, 01:39 PM

If it don't work out you can always process her. She's free right?????

tinknal · #11 04/27/11, 05:22 PM

Could be contracted tendons. Fairly easy to correct when young. Not sure at this age.

postroad · #12 04/27/11, 05:36 PM

I was also thinking about genetic isues.

Tad · #13 04/28/11, 03:38 PM

When I was at college we had a hiefer that had short front legs that were turned in kind of like a bull dog. The vet said it was a form of dwarfism and it died by the time it was a year old.

Jcran · #14 05/01/11, 08:51 PM

We saw this heifer today; my daughter, PETA Activitst in the making, just said a very strong "NO" in the way that only an 11-year old can, to the post about "you can always just process her". She has very bent in front legs, one on the right has what seems like a very swollen knee. Maybe navel ill as someone posted. I'm going to talk to the vet tomorrow to see what he thinks. This heifer is 5 months old, which makes me wonder if she could be brought out of it. I've never made splints before but I think of Forrest Gump hobbling along...we COULD name her that...oh crap, I'm naming her already. I'm against taking her, but we'll see. Any reason a calf that has gone through navel ill couldn't be splinted and rehabbed to the point that she could be sold for a homestead cow? We DO have the room right now....

**gone-a-milkin** · #15 05/01/11, 09:59 PM

Cattle carry most of their weight on their front legs.
The infection has weakened this calfs joints.
You need to access how well she will be able to move once she reaches adult weight.
My experience has been that these cows do not have good strong adult lives.
They are always the lowest in the herd and do not perform well.

Moms are mean sometimes. It's part of our job.
There are so many wonderful cows out there that would be better suited to your family.
Stay strong.

lasergrl · #16 05/02/11, 12:21 PM

I would just ask her, if she would preffer that the sweet heifer suffer in pain on those front legs, if they dont repair. I would guess that they will not be normal, and she will have pain every day once she is an adult. Might change her mind about slaughtering her.

Jcran · #17 05/02/11, 09:23 PM

Not gwanna take her...probably navel ill.

FarmerRob · #18 05/04/11, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jcran

We saw this heifer today; my daughter, PETA Activitst in the making, just said a very strong "NO" in the way that only an 11-year old can, to the post about "you can always just process her". She has very bent in front legs, one on the right has what seems like a very swollen knee. Maybe navel ill as someone posted. I'm going to talk to the vet tomorrow to see what he thinks. This heifer is 5 months old, which makes me wonder if she could be brought out of it. I've never made splints before but I think of Forrest Gump hobbling along...we COULD name her that...oh crap, I'm naming her already. I'm against taking her, but we'll see. Any reason a calf that has gone through navel ill couldn't be splinted and rehabbed to the point that she could be sold for a homestead cow? We DO have the room right now....

Jcran, you should read these and then share them with your young one. These folks have deceived lots of people, children and adults alike. They hate it when the light of truth is shined on them. Bad ones always do.

http://www.petakillsanimals.com/

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/artic...te-out-of-peta

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downl...hings_PETA.pdf

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downl...7_petakids.pdf

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_...-losers-frauds

There's lots more where this came from.

Jcran · #19 05/04/11, 09:39 PM

Oh, I WAS a bit tongue in cheek about the whole PETA thing...she has two market goats for fair, two market pigs for fair, and a steer calf. She just is a bit like "Fern" from Charlotte's Web...gets her knickers in a twist over certain things and she fell in love with the calf...I'm just letting things "die down" a bit and we'll move on. I DO appreciate her wanting to save it, but I do agree it would be better to put it down; but I'm not the owner so I can't make that decision.

Cheribelle · #20 05/07/11, 12:30 AM

I was given a Holstien steer calf once, with navel ill. His one front knee was the size of a soccer ball! I doctored, drained, etc, Huge job. Took him in to the vet for his opinion. he told me just keep on doing what I was doing, and raise it as far as I could. But the leg would not be strong. When the time came that he got too big for the knee to support him, it would be butcher time. So, I raised it for about 18 months, then I could tell the knee was going to go, so called the butcher.
SO, as a butcher calf, I would go for it, but it will be a lot of work. As a future milker, No.
That was my experience.