She is 5 weeks old and only 70 lbs. Most Hereford calves are born at this weight. She was the runt of a set of twins. She has a condition called Freemartinism, which results when a female calf is twinned with a male calf. The little bull's reproductive system develops earlier, resulting in the little heifer being exposed to testosterone. This impairs the development of the female reproductive organs. Ninety percent of Freemartin calves are infertile and thus "worthless" to the beef cattle industry. Every website I looked at stated that the overriding concern with this condition is the economic impact on the cattle industry. The emphasis is on early diagnosis so that resources aren't "wasted" on the calf, who ultimately won't be able to breed. On top of that, being the runt, Blossom is a "poor doer" (read "resource drain"). She also has a problem with her right hind leg. She "knuckles over" on her fetlock joint, necessitating a splint on her lower leg.
The cattle farmers I got her from had had an unusual number of twins this year and had picked out a perfectly healthy little calf to sell to me. Of course, once I saw this gimpy little girl I had to take her home. I feed her bovine milk replacement three times a day from a pail with a nipple. The term for such a calf is a "pail bunter" and for good reason. She will be eagerly suckling away and then all of a sudden quite forcefully bunt the pail. She has also started bunting my leg when she's hungry. Here is a video clip of the horses checking her out shortly after she arrived just over a week ago. As you can see she is not phased by them at all.
Buddy, the little pinto mini, seems to be somewhat obsessed with her. He will stand at the fence just staring at her. Here is a photo of her having a little nap. I laid down on the ground near her and fell asleep with her.
She had been kept in a barn, so everything outside is new to her. She is definitely a very curious little girl. Her leg has been improving and she can now get around in the barn without her splint. We still have up to a foot of snow in places after a recent storm, which makes it more challenging for her. I have to be very careful with her because there are many predators lurking in the forest who would love to have a mini-moo snack.
Yesterday when I headed into the forest to walk the dogs Blossom mooed as soon as I disappeared from sight. I called her and she came flying over the knoll into the forest. We walked for 20 minutes and she seemed to quite enjoy herself. Jessie, my German Shepherd, is thrilled to have her very own little cow to look out for. She quite intently follows Blossom everywhere. I can't even get her to come in for supper if her little calf is still out. This will certainly help keep the little one safe. Today we went for a 40 minute walk.
It's amazing how well she can romp around now with her splint.
Here is a video clip of Jessie and Blossom. Notice that Jessie is so tuned in to Blossom's energy that she actually mirrors the calf's movement.
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I just had a big scare with Kiah. I noticed she didn't come when I put their hay out for supper. At first I wondered if she was colicking, but then I noticed that she wasn't using her right front leg and didn't seem able to move from the spot she was in. I palpated her leg and didn't find any noticeable tenderness. She was able to weight bear on the leg, but couldn't seem to move it. I became concerned that something neurological was going on, so I called the vet. He stated that there would be very little one could do if she had a neurological injury. I ended up having him come out because I wouldn't have been able to sleep worrying about her. While waiting for him I noticed that when Stryker tried to move Kiah she dragged the leg. The vet noticed some discomfort when he palpated the elbow area and wasn't able to fully flex her elbow. He pushed her harder than I did to try and get her to move, in response to which she was able to ever so slightly lift her leg and move it forward. This was a huge relief! Based on his exam the vet feels that she tore her triceps muscle. He stated that this would be career-ending for a sport horse. Thankfully, she just needs to be able to get around comfortably in the pasture and forest with her herd. She is on anti-inflammatories and will have to be kept in a separate area, but immediately adjacent to, the other horses. It is not safe for her to be in with the herd while unable to move well. The recovery could take weeks, but at least it looks hopeful for her. If you would like to send her healing thoughts and energy that would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Here is a photo of Kiah and me.
