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Help!! Calf with cricked legs

K

katrina

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Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
8,773
Location
East north east of Soapweed
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Was born last night. He did does nurse....Can we straighten out those legs by splinting them? Or should we just knock him in the head?
 
I wouldn't knock him in the head, where there is life there is hope. I have never seen hind legs so crooked but I have seen front legs. We have found 99% of the time they will straighten out on their own. We don't do anything for them. Only once can I remember one not getting better. If the calf is sucking on its own what harm is there in leaving it go for awhile? Time is a great healer and if he never does improve them you can take matters into your own hands.
 
Can you pen them together separate from the others so you can keep a closer eye on them ? I would try and splint him with some pvc pipe, lots of batting for padding and then keep a close eye on him and change the splint at least every other day so sluffing and infection do not happen.

I also think it will get better as long as there are no other malfornities that are sometimes associated with birth defects. It all depends on how much time you want to put into him. It also does help to stretch and massage the musles in the effected legs .

Here are a couple of links, good luck .

http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/ArticlePDF/Vet%20Link%2003_10%20ABB.pdf
http://agcanada.com/canadiancattlemen/2011/01/24/limb-problems-in-newborn-calves/
 
I believe this is fawn calf!

Contractural Arachnodactyly, or Fawn Calf Syndrome (FCS) is a heritable abnormality of skeletal development in Angus cattle resulting in a "tall and skinny" calf with contracture of the hocks, decreased range of motion of the limbs, particularly the hind, and kyphosis or scoliosis (malalignment of the spine). Calves are mentally alert, and stand and suckle normally.
 
Leave it be, as long as it is nursing on it's own it will straighten up. Splinting takes time and usually has the same result. A,D,E, Sel won't go far amiss.

Smaller pen with mom is desirable, there can be too much exercise also.

Somewhere there is an article about crooked legged foals. Recommendation was a box stall for quite a long time.

Heartbeat and hope go together. :wink:
 
khol said:
I believe this is fawn calf!

Contractural Arachnodactyly, or Fawn Calf Syndrome (FCS) is a heritable abnormality of skeletal development in Angus cattle resulting in a "tall and skinny" calf with contracture of the hocks, decreased range of motion of the limbs, particularly the hind, and kyphosis or scoliosis (malalignment of the spine). Calves are mentally alert, and stand and suckle normally.
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Sorry it is not TH but i would believe fawn calf. http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&biw=1280&bih=590&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=dIcgOktYvaKjRM:&imgrefurl=http://calfology.com/library/wiki/contractural-arachnodactyly-fawn-calf-syndrome&docid=sYfPEVzUVuh1qM&imgurl=http://calfology.com/sites/default/files/photo_gallery/fawn_calf_2.jpg&w=316&h=316&ei=91WYT8KKCOTU2QWP09CjBw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=353&sig=117064341949552491334&page=1&tbnh=126&tbnw=119&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:70&tx=64&ty=80 is the same pic as katrina's
 
How much Angus is this calf, as does Fawn Calf present itself in Xbreds?

Would tend to just leave the calf alone and make sure no replacements are kept out of it's mom in the future.
 
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:59 pm Post subject:

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Leave it be, as long as it is nursing on it's own it will straighten up. Splinting takes time and usually has the same result. A,D,E, Sel won't go far amiss.

Smaller pen with mom is desirable, there can be too much exercise also.

Somewhere there is an article about crooked legged foals. Recommendation was a box stall for quite a long time.

Heartbeat and hope go together.
Thats what I say too , If it can walk & suck , give it a chance .
 
i don't know... if it were mine, i'd prolly just end it and cash in the cow. it's about certain that this calf is going to demand much more attention than he is worth. sad deal either way.....
 
Splinting is a possibility, but the thing I don't like about that is sometimes it restricts them and if they aren't splinted and can maneuver they will probably get better faster.
 
If he grows alright he might be a good candidate for your freezer.........or end it and send the cow to town if you don't think he will.
 
splints rub holes in the hide & get wet & dont get dry & bugs are a problem & calves grow pretty fast so splints need to be checked & redone .
 
Some one mentioned cash in the cow I disagree. Cash in the Bull. Chances are you have the gene in several other cows if you keep heifers. I went through this about 3 yrs ago. Fawn calf or Curly calf. Found out 2 of the Bulls we had were carriers. It took recessive traits from the bull and cow to develop. I have been testing new Angus bulls ever since, just send tail switch hair to Stockman's Resource Center in Ia. The $45 dollar test is cheap compared to a calf or two.
www.stockmansresource.com
 
It's out of a hereford cow and a bull we raised and have used for years.. Never had any problems.. I will look and see what the bull's sire is, although I know the bulls sire's mom is not purebred....
 
Katrina;
It sounds like you proceeded to "no-calf" syndrome. My sympathies on your loss. Those that need extra care always seem to have the toughest spirit. We know this because they needed extra care, and we get to know them. If that was the call it was right.
 
katrina said:
It's out of a hereford cow and a bull we raised and have used for years.. Never had any problems.. I will look and see what the bull's sire is, although I know the bulls sire's mom is not purebred....
Click to expand...
That being the case I would guess it to just be a fluke. My problems were with sim-angus stock, and we had several of these calves in a row from the same crop of heifers, bred to 1 "non relative" angus bull.
 

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