Calf with bad knees

[RLN Cattle]

Had a baby calf born yesterday with some pretty bad knees on it. Calf was born big, around 90 pounds I'd guess, but was out of a very large mature cow. Cow is a comm. red angus cross, calf is out of a WMW son. Cow has never ever had structural problems with past calves, and this one isn't particularly bigger than the others. Any ideas on what I can do with this calf? It can get around decent in the shape it's in, has tons of energy, wants to suck. I'll attach some pics to give you an example of what I'm dealing with. I'm open to any suggestions or experiences with something like this. Thanks for the help!

 

[blackdirt cowboy]

I don't know what to tell you. I had one like that a couple months ago and I put it on antibiotics. When it got to two weeks old it died anyway.

 

[Part Timer]

I have had some that look like that. Mine have all grown out of it. Give it a few weeks and it should be normal.

 

[cpubarn]

I've heard of a lot that had to be put down, but mine last year that looked that bad, no club calf, just simangus, grew out of it, and was fine by fall.  I hope you have the same luck I did.  This years calf was a little off, don't know that there will be a next year for the cow...

 

[pweaver]

Had a Walks Alone/Sunseeker bull last year with front legs curved like a letter "C" when viewed from the side.  Same thing as yours, very active, nursed well, almost had to run instead of walk to keep from falling on his nose.  We knew he'd never make a club calf steer, but he was getting around and grew well.  He's in our freezer beef pen and really can't see any problems since he was 2 - 3 months old.  He's fine in the feedlot but for a show steer he'd never stand the stress of standing in stalls.  We didn't do anything but give him Bo-Se about once a month until weaning.  You can watch yours, but my guess he'll never make a show steer, if that's your goal.

 

[Diamond]

I had one born a few years ago that had a hind leg that bent to the outside in a near perfect angle. The vet said to put her down, but she was a little fighter so I wouldn't throw in the towel on her. She came back enough to be shown for the kid I gave her too and did well, plus became a good mother ...if she could come back from that I would give yours a chance too.

 

[Cattle Cards]

I had one like that last year.  Did Oxytetracycline for the prescribed days and BO-SE injections.  Massage and manipulation.  She did well, ate, played but would be worse at the end of the day.  When she got older I gave her a full dose of MSM orally. 

She had a few bad days but I thought she was going to get over it.  Was a beautiful heifer otherwise.  Sold her to a family for barely.  They were going to baby her along and see if they could breed her a couple times.  Ok, so she was better than good.  But I found out recently that she will not make it. as she gets older and bigger, she's reverted to the way she was as a calf. 

It was hard.  I did all I could.  Cried and asked God why.  Again a 90 lb. calf, on time, easy birth and out of a 1600 lb. cow.  I have a hunch but can not say why or what happened.  PB Maine bull out of a Heat Wave x Meyer cow that raised a heck of a calf the year before by Jesse James.  Damn shame.

 

[hedgesjp1985]

I had a Dakota gold three weeks ago out of an all about you that did the same thing as your calf.  There were some days early on that she couldn't take more than two steps without tripping over her own legs.  Hers curved and than crossed.  I gave her a Bose shot at eight to twelve hours old for the last five days in a row the calf has looked totally normal.  Last year I saw two walks alone calves with curved front legs, they both ended up at the sale barn.  They could get around but they never improved.  Good luck.