Thanksgiving Day morning a first-calf Brangus heifer delivered a bull calf that is crippled in the hind legs. A travelling bull used on mature cows jumped the fence and bred the heifer. The calf cannot use its hind legs that are considered "wind swept," that is, the legs tend to hang to the right side and remain almost touching each other. The legs are not paralyzed. When the calf is rolled on its back, it can kick these legs. The calf cannot get up on its own. When I get the calf up and hold it up by the tail or its flanks it can walk using its front legs but it either drags the rear legs or attempts to hop while keeping the hind legs together. This is not a selenium deficient area, but at times the calf stands straight on its hooves and sometimes the hooves are bent back.
One veterinarian indicated (sight unseen) that this calf will never recover use of these legs. Another veterinarian, on physical inspection of the calf, indicated that it should recover the use of these legs. My questions: Has anyone on HayTalk ever owned a calf with a similar abnormality? Will this calf ever walk, or am I being too optimistic?
New Born Crippled Calf
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