We lost our little highlander bull calf last night.   I went out to the barn to retrieve Gunner and do the chores and when I stepped out in the barnyard, I found Fozzy laying on the ground next to the water tank. 

He didn't look very good. I tried to help him get up and he gave it a good try but was just to weak.  So after a quick phone call to Rich, I put our girlsin the ar and headedup the road to the neighbor's place.  Rochelle happens to be a vet.  She told me she'd call the on call vet for me and send her out.  So we headed back to the farm to wait.

Unfortunately, Fozzy was already gone when we got back.  But I wanted to know what happened to him so if we had to change something so we didn't lose anybody else we could.

About 20 minutes later, Rochelle drove up in her vet truck stating that the on call vet would be at least 2 hours so she thought she's come instead.  I informed her he was already gone but I wanted to know what the cause of death was.

She suspected a twisted intestine since this came on so quickly.  She did a quick autopsy and sure enough, she was right.  I got an orientation to the inner working of a calf.  She said there was nothing we could have done about it.  Its just one of those freak things that happens and its very rare.  She said he was eating well, was the right size for his age and had a good fat layer.  She figured the twisted and perforated large intestine was there for just a few days.  She also found a hairball in his small intestine which she said was also unusual.

Poor Caitlin, she was standing in the pasture calling and calling for her baby.  She seems better today.  Now that he's been removed from her sight, I'm hoping she will quit calling for him.

Carol