We have a sick calf.

Last saturday we had to put the herd through the stock yards so that we could vaccinate the new calves and check that they were all OK. All the males also needed to be converted from bulls to steers. I won’t say anymore about that because it makes me cringe to think about it.

During this process we discovered a weak calf. It seems that her mother has either neglected her or is unable to feed her. It seemed that she was anything up to a week old, and unless we got some food into her she wouldn’t survive.

My wife got some advice from nearby farmers and we started feeding her on powdered milk. By Tuesday she was looking much better and eating hungrily.

The danger, we were told, is that the calf can scour. This is a disease which causes diarrhoea, and can lead to the calf dying from dehydration.

Today we noticed, or rather my wife did, that the calf, whom she has named Annie, after Orphan Annie, had diarrhoea and was looking much less healthy than yesterday. So we asked the vet what to do. He gave (sold) us some electrolyte solution and a feeding tube. You put the tube down the calves throat and pour in two litres of electrolytes three times a day until the cow picks up ” usually within two to three days.

Now I wasn’t about to do that. It is dangerous. NOt for me, but for the calf. First, you need to get the tube into the oesopagus, and not the trachea, which would force the liquid into the calf’s lungs and she would drown.

What you need is a competent nurse.

Fortunately, our daughter is a nurse. Equally fortunately, she was off work because she just came out of hospital yesterday, feeling somewhat sore and sorry. Nevertheless, we needed her assistance. My wife held the calf, my daughter put the tube down its throat and poured in the electrolyte.

And me? I stood back at a safe distance and watched. See, a piece of cake.