Bloat inherited?

[aplusmnt]

Just hauled off a heifer that I would have loved to keep. She was the one I talked about a few months ago that bloated on me when a few weeks old. She had bloated again this week after weaning her and putting on hay and some feed. Figure Bez was correct, once they bloater always a bloater.

Thing I am wondering is rather I should sell the cow she is out of. I have had 4 calves from her (registered angus) 2 have had bloat problems. The cow is an easy keeper and she raises big growthy calves. Hers always out grow every other one in the herd. The other two heifers she had (yep 4 heifers) have did good, one is a bred heifer now, and the other raises big good calves liker her mom even though she gets pretty beat down doing it.

 

[dun]

Just as in everything else that cna be inherited, I'm sure the likelyhood of bloating can be passed from generation to generation. We've found that if an animal bloats once they're more then likely going to bloat again. Once bloated they need to grow wheels.
Now wether the cow will pass it to all of her calves is another story. I would just keep an eye on her daughters and if they bloat they would leave, those that don;t would stay as long as they;re raising a top X% calf.

 

[Frankie]

Just hauled off a heifer that I would have loved to keep. She was the one I talked about a few months ago that bloated on me when a few weeks old. She had bloated again this week after weaning her and putting on hay and some feed. Figure Bez was correct, once they bloater always a bloater.

Thing I am wondering is rather I should sell the cow she is out of. I have had 4 calves from her (registered angus) 2 have had bloat problems. The cow is an easy keeper and she raises big growthy calves. Hers always out grow every other one in the herd. The other two heifers she had (yep 4 heifers) have did good, one is a bred heifer now, and the other raises big good calves liker her mom even though she gets pretty beat down doing it.

Yes, it can be inherited. Several years ago, a big operation was putting some animals in our bull test with old Angus genetics in their pedigree. The guys who work at the test station said they got to the point they could look at a pedigree and know which animals to keep an eye on for bloat.