Effort to adopt handicapped calf leads to new home

Lauren Jensen named the calf Lil Billy as soon as she saw him last week.

It’s a cute name, the 11-year-old Dell Rapids girl said.

And it suits a cute calf that also happens to be lucky.

Very lucky.

Because not every calf that was born unable to stand on its own back legs would have found a home where father and daughter bottle-feed it, have rigged up a harness to help it off the stable floor and love it despite its infirmity.

Lauren’s father, Travis Jensen, said he offered to give Lil Billy a home because he wants his daughter to learn responsibility by tending an animal and doing chores. It’s more than that, he admits after being pressed.

“Just a soft heart, I guess,” he said. “I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for animals, and I didn’t want to see him put down without a chance. We can give him a good life for a while at least.”

That’s what Jennifer Stone was hoping for when she posted notices about the crippled calf on several Facebook sites. “Free handicapped calf to a good home, sweet as sugar,” she wrote. “His back legs are stiff but he is incredibly sweet and loves people! (& he has some wheels currently coming in the mail!:D)

The calf was born two weeks ago, one of many arriving this spring to Beau Severtson, who runs a cattle operation near Flandreau. Right away, her significant other knew something was wrong, Stone said.

Severtson, whose family has farmed near Flandreau for generations, knew he didn’t have time during calving season to tend to one ailing animal. He also was unwilling not to do something.

“He did not want to put the calf down, but he did not know what else to do,” Stone said. “I have a tendency to bring home strays, but I don’t think I should have a pet cow.”

Although she rarely uses social media, Stone turned to Facebook to find the calf a home. She was optimistic that someone would want him.

Her optimism proved to be well founded. She received 86 responses from people interested in adopting the calf. The 87th response, from a taxidermist, was rejected quickly.

Stone and Jensen talked on the phone before the decision was made. A native of Moody County, Jensen knows the Severtson family. In fact, Beau Severtson’s mother had been his insurance agent for years.

Jensen has lived near Dell Rapids for 14 years. While his main income comes from the farm, he has rented out the feedlot and barn, sells hay and has bottle-fed calves and lambs over the years.

Now, Lil Billy has joined Lauren’s horse in the Jensens’ barn. Travis Jensen drove to Flandreau to pick him up March 28. He didn’t tell his plans to Lauren, a fifth-grader in the Dell Rapids Public School District.

“She found out when she got home from school. She was pretty excited,” Jensen said. “The first or second thing she asked was what his name was, and I told her she could name him. It popped out instantly.”

“I think it’s nice,” Lauren said of her name choice.

Lil Billy is a Black Baldy or Black Whiteface, names for a Hereford crossed with a solid black breed like Aberdeen Angus. Jensen estimates Lil Billy now weighs 70 to 80 pounds.

“If he grows to maturity, he’ll be a thousand pounds or even better than that, although he’ll probably always be behind since it will take more energy to walk than a normal steer,” Jensen said.

Jensen holds out hope that someday Lil Billy will be able to walk on his own. Something apparently didn’t develop properly in the calf’s hips, and his rear feet stay together. Jensen has rigged up a sling that puts Lil Billy on his feet. That allows the calf to move both back feet at the same time, going in a small circle.

“I think there’s a possibility he might be able to walk someday,” Jensen said.

Stone is out of state currently, but she confirmed that a cart for the calf should arrive shortly. It is designed for extra-large dogs and allows them to sit down. The all-terrain vehicle has large wheels, but at some point, Lil Billy will outgrow even that.

Stone describes Lil Billy as “super sweet.” He came from a good-natured mother, who has been given a calf that another cow rejected.

Jensen agreed that Lil Billy is friendlier than most calves. In his experience, half of all calves are reluctant to drink from a bottle, but Lil Billy falls into the category that welcomes mealtime with avidity.

“He takes it and sucks down,” Jensen said. “He likes to be scratched. If he hears somebody come into the barn, he gets excited and starts bellering. He’s kind of a people calf.”

He’s definitely a Lauren Jensen kind of calf.

“I’m happy when I see Lil Billy because his face is super cute,” she said.