Need Calf Help

Ok all you smarties out there I need an opinion on a new orphan calf we purchased for my daughter for a peewee 4-H deal.  I think I know what I need to do, but I would like your opinion.  Ok here goes....the calf is approx two days old and her legs are so weak she cannot stand up for more than a minute (literally 60 seconds).  If you look at her from the front she is very knock kneed or calf kneed, but her front legs seem to be the stronger of all her wheels.  If you look at her from the side her back legs almost make a "C" shape when she stands.  When she walks she swings those legs like she is marching just to keep upright.  She is out of a super super skinny Nevada range cow. Her mothers legs seemed real correct so to me this doesn't seem like a genetic deal.  Other than having bum legs she seems to be doing fairly well.  It is a bit of a chore to get her to eat and as of yet we have not been able to get her to eat while standing.  Tell me what you think!

Sorry to say but sounds like to me that the outcome of this is not gonna be very pleasent for your daughter.....

If she has a good appetite, keep at it. Get her up during the day and help her stand, I bet she gets stronger. I have had a  lot of crooked legged calves that with time come out of it fine. I should get more before and after pics in my life. Check with a vet in the area for any vaccines and maybe vitamin shots that could give her a boost also. If she hasnt giving up you shouldnt.

Ok...first of all, you can't judge her structurally at 2 days...her legs have been folded up inside a cow for the past nine months! Sounds like you have more things to worry about than structure at this point...

My recommendation for a weak baby calf is a raw egg at every feeding. It has nutrients and energy that I've never gotten from any other supplement that comes in a bag. Until she starts eating hearty, give her electrolytes and a raw egg at each feeding...make sure the egg is fresh, because raw eggs can carry Salmonella and that would basically be like food poisoning. She needs nutrients for energy and water to keep from getting dehydrated. Make sure her bowels are moving and don't get too thin...When a calf scours, that's when they get dehydrated and they'll die on you pretty quick if you don't get that stopped. A farm center supply store should have something like Kaopectate which is like Pepto-bismol for calves...it comes in a gallon jug, it doesn't cost much, and I try to keep in on hand when I have babies like that. Scour boluses are good, too. I have the best luck with a sulfur bolus for scours. Just in case...

We had a set of twins that came a month early last year. Lost the bull...the heifer weighed about 40 pounds and couldn't stand at all. We took her to the barn, and I wouldn't have given you a nickel for her chances. We started giving her a raw egg and milking the cow and tube feeding the calf, and then my dad had to sit on a bucket with the calf across his lap to hold her up to nurse for several days before she could ever stand up. You wouldn't BELIEVE what she looks like now!

Good luck!

I have also had some crooked leg calves come out of it with time especially twins where one calf has ran out of room before birth. Use a bale of hay to help her stand for longer perids of time. Talk to the vet about vitamins or anythig else to help her. I agree with the post above if the calf is still eating and hasn't given up either should you. A little tlc might go along way.

Depending on where you live-- a Se shot might help get her along... 

BS you are the only one who said what I was thinking.  She isn't a calf from our area her mother just came in on a truck from Nevada where she was a range cow, a skinny, skinny range cow.  We are not a Se deficient area, but Nevada might be??.  We did give her E and B12 yesterday. 
I really don't care what her legs look like just thought the added description would help when you all were giving me advice on what to do.  I did give her an egg in her milk (thanks leanbeef I knew I hadn't remembered everything) a bit ago and another shot of B Complex.  She is pretty vigorous just real weak on the wheels.  We will keep plugging along and see what happens.  Thanks Frostback for the pep talk.  We will not give up on her until she is on the wrong side of the dirt  .  Oh the things we will do for our children!   

Thanks everyone for the input.

IMO, our best Angus brood cow-- is a July bottle calf- from a heat stressed dead momma.