Delivery Issues are a Bad Start
Dr. Ken McMillan
DTN
Contracted tendons can occur when a large, developing calf’s legs don’t have room to move and stay flexed in the last weeks of gestation. Large calves are also more likely to have difficulty being born. Both the amount of pressure and the length of time that pressure exists on those legs can damage nerves in the calf’s legs, which can lead to paralysis. Those nerves can also be damaged if the calf had to be pulled, especially if OB chains and a calf jack are used improperly, or a vehicle or tractor was used to pull the calf.
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