Starving calves.

[Cligereen]

We live in the country and our house is surrounded by fields of cattle. Bordering our garden is a shed which is part of a farmyard. Just over a week ago one of my sons (13) told me that there were two calves in the shed. I didn't pay much attention because hey, farmers do put animals in sheds from time to time. Tonight same son told me that the calves were still in the shed. Now I did think this a bit strange because all of the other calves were out in the field and had been all along. When I went with him to investigate, sure enough they were shut into a shed with no food or water (and no containers for either). I reckon what happened is that they pushed their way in through the shed door, which closed behind them, trapping them, poor things. They were in poor condition. Very very thin (like those you'd see in Africa). We released them and they drank the puddles dry outside in the yard. There is a river for them to drink from as well. It was heartbreaking to see.

The owner of the field lives miles away and I don't have contact details for him and anyway he rents the field to somebody else. They obviously haven't checked the cattle for a while or they'd have noticed a couple missing.

Anyway, they're free now but will they be OK? Will they recover on their own? I'll keep an eye open for the owners when they next visit the field but I'm a bit concerned that the owner of the cattle may think they're diseased or something because they look so wretched.

Just looking for a bit of reassurance really. I tell you what, this year alone I've rescued two stray dogs, adopted two cats (temorarily) rounded up a horse on the road outside my house that had escaped its paddock half a mile down the road (it turned out to be worth €40k so good job it didn't get hit by a car and end up as dog food) and now we've rescued two calves. And I know nothing about big animals - but I'm a quick learner!

I'll keep an eye on the calves myself but I know nothing about livestock (I'm from London for heaven's sake)

[ina]

If they are still up and running, and now have access to water and food, they'll probably be alright... Well, what else could you do? Just make sure they do find the water; if you think they may not, maybe put a bucket in for them. It's difficult to say what else to do; unless you want to call the RSPCA - but then you said they probably just got in there through being nosey, and not through any malicious deed of the owner.

Maybe you could leave a note in a prominent place for the owners, if and when they bother to check up on their livestock? To be honest, if they don't at least check up for over a week, they shouldn't really keep livestock at all... Ours get checked at least every other day, and calves and other youngstock every day!

[John Headstrong]

I would get in contact with the local vet, chances are he knows who the owner is,failing that contact the ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

The calves will need to be checked after being locked in for such a time and maybe have supplementary food to build them back up.

You done the right thing.

[Cligereen]

Thanks for the advice. I checked the calves this morning and they are feeding well with the rest of the herd. They also have water in the river. I didn't think of calling a vet to find the owners, maybe I should do that.

Now they 'seem' to be OK, I won't ring the ISPCA because I'm sure they got into the shed by accident. I've since bolted the door so they can't get back in. If they don't respond well in the next week or so, I will ring them then.

Thankfully they look happy now. Thanks for the feedback.

[ina]

Provided there's no other problem - infection or so - young animals are astonishingly resilient... I'm still annoyed at folks who have animals and then don't even check they are still there on a regular basis! We've got somebody with cattle here in the glen; sometimes several cows are out on the road for days at a time, and nobody comes and checks. They don't run away, and it's not a particular danger, but still.

[Millymollymandy]

I wonder about the cows that are often in the fields that border my garden in winter when we have a freeze. I was forever out there breaking ice on the hens' and ducks' water (this was during the week that my pond froze over completely). However whilst the farmer does come around at least once every couple of days (probably more) to give his cattle hay and top up the water, he can't be coming by every couple of hours to break the ice on their drinking water.

The cattle seemed fine - do you think they can get enough moisture from the damp long grass when their water is frozen? Admittedly this doesn't happen very often that it stays freezing during the day but I did worry about them!

[ina]

The cattle seemed fine - do you think they can get enough moisture from the damp long grass when their water is frozen?

Yes, they can... They'll even be perfectly ok for a day or so without water, provided it's not dairy cattle in lactation, and they have fresh feed (i.e. grass, not just hay).

[Millymollymandy]

Thanks Ina that's put my mind at rest. No not dairy cows just beef ones being fattened up I think.