World Record 9-LB Calf Servives

World Record 9-LB Calf Servives DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Dairy Equipment & Ideas 18-3-21 That tiny 19-lb. Holstein calf we told you about last year (Vol. 17, No. 5), which many people thought might be the world's smallest surviving calf, had its record shattered this winter. A Holstein heifer calf weighing only 9 lbs. was born last Christmas day on the farm of Mark and Wendy Theuringer, Hutchinson, Minn. One week later, the calf had gained 6 lbs. and was continuing to eat five times a day from a bottle. "We felt that it was a miracle she was alive after the first night," says Wendy. The 18-in. high calf was born two weeks premature. She was kept in a cardboard box in the barn's utility room, under a heat lamp to maintain warmth. The calf laid flat on its side for five days. "She couldn't get up on her own, but when she was placed on her feet she could stand," says Wendy. `By the sixth day she was able to stand on her own, but her legs were still very wobbly. She's now able to kick and jump on her own. However, once she got to 15 lbs., she stopped growing. We think it's possible she may be adwarf. We plan to keep herasapet. I'm the one who feeds her so she follows me around like a puppy. "We called the Guinness Book of World Records and were told that they list a 17-lb. calf born in Africa in their 1992 edition. They said they will investigate our calf." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark and Wendy Theuringer, 22545 York Rd., Hutchinson, Minn. 55350 (ph 612 587-9154).

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