# Dumb cow questions



## violetsky888 (Oct 25, 2013)

I noticed in another post someone indicated a hairy calf is an unhealthy calf, possibly wormy.    I have a calf I've been babying. He is getting  calf manna, alfalfa pellets, horse hay bedding, mineral block, beef block, sweet feed treats and 4 acres of pasture he is sharing with another slightly older calf I got for company.  He is a weaned too soon auction calf that wouldn't take a bottle.   I thought he was doing well except for his winter coat is coming in darker and very curly and no extra padding.  The other calf's coat is staying the same texture she is a little older and bigger and much more lively.  The calf I'm concerned about from day one has been calm and slow reacting and has been easy to halter break groom and general doesn't care much what you do with him. (I like his temperament)  He eats well, but isn't as fat and sleek as I'd like though growing in height and size in general and now he has curls from head to tail.   A friend suggested pouring vegetable oil on his food to up his fat content/good bad idea???  I'm pretty confident the calf manna is high enough in protein but I'm a little uneasy with the anise scent.  Is that really a flavor cows like?  Are curls a good or bad indicator for healthy development.   He is a charbray bull calf originally almost white, now he is turning a dark grey.


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## california cowgirl (Oct 25, 2013)

Sounds like that breeds color and they can get a bit darker and even curly hair I believe.  Charolais can be white or kinda grey or a dirty mousey grey.  Some are curly haired I believe.  Does the coat look shiny and soft or is it rough and dull not healthy looking?  Any calf that has gotten a rough start and like you said did not want a bottle and had to wean and grow off of milk and start on regular food will be a late bloomer.  Worming is good don't know if you have ever wormed but they do need that.  They can look dull and usually get the poopy tail and or really stink.  Worming is good but that will delay any sale for I think it is depending on what brand and if you use pour on vs injectable I think the withdrawl time for injectable Ivermetrin is around 60 days.  Calves will look seedy and not as vigorious if they have had a rough start. Will be sluggish and sound like he is getting a good diet from you.  Might want to look into some probiotics to put into his manna and or grain mix called Fast Tracks...looks like ground up cereal.  Helps with digestion.  If his poop looks normal like the other calf then he should be okay if you think he is sick call your vet.  The vegetable oil I do not think gives them extra protein or energy I think that is corn oil that does that but I would ask a vet what kind.  Do not want to put a strain on his digestive system unless he needs something like that.  Might just be a late bloomer.


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## Four Winds Ranch (Oct 25, 2013)

california cowgirl said:
			
		

> Sounds like that breeds color and they can get a bit darker and even curly hair I believe.  Charolais can be white or kinda grey or a dirty mousey grey.  Some are curly haired I believe.  Does the coat look shiny and soft or is it rough and dull not healthy looking?  Any calf that has gotten a rough start and like you said did not want a bottle and had to wean and grow off of milk and start on regular food will be a late bloomer.  Worming is good don't know if you have ever wormed but they do need that.  They can look dull and usually get the poopy tail and or really stink.  Worming is good but that will delay any sale for I think it is depending on what brand and if you use pour on vs injectable I think the withdrawl time for injectable Ivermetrin is around 60 days.  Calves will look seedy and not as vigorious if they have had a rough start. Will be sluggish and sound like he is getting a good diet from you.  Might want to look into some probiotics to put into his manna and or grain mix called Fast Tracks...looks like ground up cereal.  Helps with digestion.  If his poop looks normal like the other calf then he should be okay if you think he is sick call your vet.  The vegetable oil I do not think gives them extra protein or energy I think that is corn oil that does that but I would ask a vet what kind.  Do not want to put a strain on his digestive system unless he needs something like that.  Might just be a late bloomer.


X2!  
Aslong as he is eating and drinking good, and bowel movements are normal, he sounds fine!


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## WildRoseBeef (Oct 26, 2013)

Violetsky, I don't remember what breed or age the calf you have is, or if you mentioned it in previous posts, but would you be so kind as to repost the breed and age of the calf again? (Just so I have a better idea of what we're talking about here) Thanks.


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## violetsky888 (Oct 27, 2013)

This is an early picture.  He doesn't have scours or look sickly, his coat is shiny, curly and darkening quite a bit.  I will try to get a recent picture.  I've been worming using the alfalfa pelleted wormer.


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## california cowgirl (Oct 28, 2013)

That picture he looks awesome and healthy calf.  Very nice.  Is this a current photo? If now maybe a current one.


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## violetsky888 (Oct 28, 2013)

I just went out today and forgot to bring my camera.  The original question was about the change in the quality of his fur relating to health.  He is now darker and has lots of curls.   I had heard being extra hairy was a sign of poor healthy.???


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## treeclimber233 (Oct 28, 2013)

I would think this time of year the extra hair is just his winter coat......Curls and all


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## WildRoseBeef (Oct 29, 2013)

treeclimber233 said:
			
		

> I would think this time of year the extra hair is just his winter coat......Curls and all


I concur.  It is getting very close to winter time. December is just over a month away. Already, up here, we've had us a nice little cold spell with a couple of cold nights--some places the temperature went down to around -15C. Already had a bit of snow this past weekend.  It's about time the animals start putting on their winter coats. 

With animals, you can expect their hair colour to get darker in the winter and lighter in the summer.  It's got something to do with photoperiods or more exposure to sunlight. One of the folks on here that frequent this part of the forum has (or had) one calf that did just that. 

So I wouldn't worry, Violet.


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## california cowgirl (Oct 29, 2013)

Maybe next time a nice full body photo and we can see but I have to think the winter hair is coming in.  Good appetite and good poop and all plumbing working and nothing out of the ordinary from the other calf if they seem like they both are acting the same eating the same and have a bright clear look to them and perky than it is just winter hair.  A nice picture so we can see your lovely baby.


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## violetsky888 (Nov 1, 2013)

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/5482_nov_2013_008.jpg[img]
[img]http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/5482_nov_2013_038.jpg


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## WildRoseBeef (Nov 2, 2013)

He looks fine to me.


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## violetsky888 (Nov 3, 2013)

So there is no relationship between being extra hairy and  bad health.   I was kind of worried because my calf is starting to look like a poodle.   As you can see in the before picture he "looked" healthy.


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## california cowgirl (Nov 4, 2013)

Some breeds can get pretty hairy.  Heck some of our Herefords look like they could have their hair braided and are curly too.  Some are not but he looks bright eyed and not sickly and standing next to the other calf about the same size.  He is bellied but that is from being an orphan and even bottle babies can get that.  Some probiotics in his loose feed like Fast Tracks can give them some good bacteria for digestion and worming him if he has not been wormed can help.  If his poop looks normal like the others and he acts like the other one and only has curly hair then it is just his winter coat coming in.  We have neighbors with that breed and they can get really thick curly hair.  Some are not as hairy and some look really curly and hairy.  I would say he is fine.


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## WildRoseBeef (Nov 4, 2013)

violetsky888 said:
			
		

> So there is no relationship between being extra hairy and  bad health.   I was kind of worried because my calf is starting to look like a poodle.   As you can see in the before picture he "looked" healthy.


Depends.  At this time of year it's impossible to tell because it's getting on to winter (already have snow on the ground up here, BTW). As Cali. Cowgirl said, there are breeds that can get pretty hairy, Galloway and Highland come to mind when she mentioned that. I've had winters where we get steers that look so hairy they look more like walking fluff balls than actual bovines lol, and that's because the winters up here aren't to be taken lightly, and the animals know it.


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## violetsky888 (Nov 5, 2013)

I guess I should of mentioned I'm in Alabama.    I love shaggy breeds of cows but I don't think I've seen a beef breed get a noticeably wooly coat here, though there are a surprising number of highlanders for sale.  I often wonder how they manage during the long hot steamy summer.


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## WildRoseBeef (Nov 5, 2013)

I've heard that Galloways can be raised up around and down where you are, as the people who own them say they slick off nicely for the summer and do quite well in the summer.  I would like to see a Galloway breeder come on here and tell you that as they are far more informed of the breed than I, but that's from what I know.


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## california cowgirl (Nov 5, 2013)

He does look a little pot bellied and seedy but he does not look sickly.  Does that make sense but you said he would not take a bottle and so weaned early and seems to be alright.  I have had orphans look pretty seedy and then come spring of their yearling year get way better looking.  The hair can be the breed and the length of daylight tells them to grow hair not the temperature at least with horses that is true.  I see our mountain cattle come home hairy from the mountains and then some from the valley on irrigated pasture too but some of that is late summer and wormy but also they are getting winter hair too.  If he eats and poops normal like the other calve and eyes seem bright and nose seems fine like the other calf and they lay and chew their cud and do the same routine and nothing seems way different other than his hair then I would say they are both fine.


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