She started out drinking milk from a bottle, not without some difficulty. She would start and stop...start and stop...milk dripping down her chin and all over my coveralls. We thought maybe she was feeling a little under the weather so we gave her electrolytes and watched her closely. When it was time to wean her to drink out of a bucket, she was also very stubborn. V E R Y S T U B B O R N ! !
None of those things are unusual.
Here she is...
It's not the greatest picture, but if you've ever tried to take a picture of a calf in a pen with another animal, you'd understand! See the eyeballs over her right (our left) ear? That crazy calf stands ready to attack anyone and anything that might give her some food. Gotta click the shutter when you've got a chance, with that one in the pen! :)
Anyway...what's different about this calf?
Not once...NOT ONCE...since she was born, have we ever heard her bawl! Not for her Mom...not for food...not just because she could. She's been completely silent for over six weeks now. She doesn't like milk, either. She munches on hay, drinks out of the water bowl and eats some grain. She doesn't appear to be sick, but we can't quite figure her out.
It's kind of like a dog that never barks or a cat that never meows. Have you ever heard of a silent calf?
Alica, I once had a small twin bull calf that was born 5 hours after his still born brother. He had difficulty breathing so I called him Raspy.
ReplyDeleteHe was small and wouldn't eat. I worked so hard to try to make him drink. He was born on August 7, 2010.
I blogged about him in a post on August 23rd saying that he couldn't stand and wouldn't suck. By then I was ready to give up. I asked a young girl called Renee who had Down Syndrom to pray for his healing. I was ready to finally give up and get the vet to put him to sleep or just let him die. Then the next day he drank a full bottle of electrolyte. The nest day he was standing but still so tiny.On September 5th he drank from the pail for the first time. Then on September 6, I walked in the barn a half hour earlier than usual and all the calves were laying in their pens and Raspy was bawling his head off. He sounded so happy that he found his voice.
The buyer came and bought him several days later and couldn't believe that the calf had survived and had actually gained weight.
So your calf will probably find his pr her voice too.
Have a blessed week and I hope that your little stubborn calf does well.
Have a great week Alica.
Hugs,
JB
glad she's eating and drinking other things! wonder if her throat/vocal chords are messed up, somehow. like julia said, hope she finds her voice!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting. I wonder what happened. I hope she stays okay, she is a cute little girl.
ReplyDeleteMaybe when she will find her voice.
No I haven't. The good sign is that she is drinking water and eating hay. May she continue to thrive.
ReplyDeleteMaybe her vocal cords haven't developed quite yet or her larynx . As long as she is eating and drinking good I am sure all will be fine she looks happy and healthy and is a cutie . I bet one day all of a sudden she will have something to bellow about and will be the loudest one there lol ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteI don't know a lot about calves, but I hope that the calf continues to eat, and hopefully thrives. You'll have to keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what, that is a cute calf!
Have a happy day.
~K.
Oh so many mysteries I have a few of them here too. I think as long as she is eating not to worry:) Hug B
ReplyDeleteWell, if she ever does decide to speak up, it'll no doubt have great meaning!
ReplyDelete