Spring has sprung

Coburn Palmer / Roundup

A male calf born Mar. 3 at the Pierce Farm, broke his leg last week and was put in a cast, according to Dr. Leland Shapiro, department chair of agriculture and natural resources.

GRAZING: Cows graze on the green, sunlit grass on the hills of the Ranch behind the Pierce College Farm Center with the Warner Center in the background.

John Gutierrez / Roundup

The calf was injured when his mother stepped on his leg in the days following his birth, according to Alice Christensen, a 21-year-old pre-veterinarian major.

The heifer and calf are being kept separate from the rest of the herd in a barn while the baby recovers. Injured calves have a low survival rate as a result of difficulty in eating.

The injured calf was born as a set of twins and the other calf has not been effected by the injury.

Though injuries can be fatal to baby animals, the new calf is healing better than expected and looks to be healthy soon, according to Shapiro.

OUCH: A newborn calf stands by its mother after breaking a leg and having it put in a cast on March 17.

Jose Romero