Blind calf

[Pure Country]

Has anyone had experience with a blind calf. Not only that, it's an orphan. It's not one of mine. A person we have bought most of our cows from has an orphan that is about a week old. It's had it's first milk.

He told us we could have it if we wanted it. I can deal with an orphan but haven't had experience with one that is blind. We have gotten two orphans from him but they were 6 weeks when we got them. My steer that I lost in Aug. was one of the orphans.

Can the blindness be reversed by antibiotics or anything? Just trying to find out options before we give him an answer. Also, need to find out about introducing into herd or will it have to stay in seperate pen.

Thanks.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Chances of the blindness being reversed are going to be slim to none and even then it would probably be more light and shadow. It depends on what caused the blindness to begin with. Being that young I would guess it was born that way and I would say it won't reverse.

As for can it be introduced to the others? After quarentining (recommended for all new animals) shows no illness sure. You may have to keep it confined into a small pasture or paddock by the buildings though. It really depends on the individual animal and how well it uses it's other senses to get around.

 

[wynedot55]

as said blindness cant be reversed.it will be awhile before you can turn him out in a pasture.an with him being blind that may not work.an he has tobe penned in the corral.

 

[Pure Country]

Thanks. Just checking to see what the options are. We haven't said we would take it yet. I kind of have a place to keep it. Not sure if it was born blind or what. It is a Limousin calf. I have a feeling we are going to have to pass on it. I don't mind taking on an orphan but with it being blind, well, that's a challenge I don't think I am ready for.

 

[jhm47]

We had a blind calf a couple years ago. It never regained it's sight. I have no idea whether it was born that way or not, but I did notice that it stayed close to it's mother all the time during the summer. In the fall, when we weaned them, I discovered that it was blind, and it then began to follow another calf all the time. We kept these two calves together till they were big enough to butcher. Sold the blind one to a neighbor, who said that it was some of the best meat he'd ever had. The blind one did just fine, and seemed to have enhanced hearing and smell. It never ran into the fence, and seemed to know where it was in relation to it's herdmates. Found the feeders and waterers just as well as the others.

 

[amysflock]

One of the breeders in our association had twin heifer calves born in 2008, one of which was blind. For whatever reason, she DID regain her sight and is just fine now. Maybe there is hope?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

She was probably lacking in something, mineral or some such thing, that made her go blind and then when she got enough of it her sight came back. I have heard of this and is why I said slim to none and not outright none. It doesn't happen often but, it can.

 

[Pure Country]

I talked to the person the other day when we went to look at one of the bulls he had for sale. We are getting him. I have a pic that I will post shortly.

He said she is doing fine. At first the dam wouldn't let her nurse so he put the calf in a stall with a door and the cow in a head gate. She was nursing twice a day that way with a bottle or two as supplement. He went out there one day and the cow was letting the calf nurse and the calf was following her around. Her leg is still kind of deformed but she is moving better. He isn't sure if she got stepped on or what. I didn't get to see her. She was in the other barn at his dad's place.

 

[MReit]

Ooooooooooooh I'd love that challenge