Calf deformation on head

[cars8014]

Hey guys, had a question regarding a recently born steer who was just born with an open wound right in the middle of it's forehead (almost looked like brains - red - but not bleeding). It quickly healed into a scab looking bump with a lot of extra hair and (a bone feeling lump) to make the bump. It's hard like bone all around the area - so do you think it's a spot for a horn? The cow acts normal, it's surely not an abscess... pictures attached.

 

[rollinhills]

Unicorn

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

Pictures aren't very good but the calf appears to be angus and developmental duplication was identified a few years ago as a defect in the breed. Might be what your calf is showing. Some calves were born with an extra leg or a bulge on the head. There was a list of carriers at one time on the AAA site. Here 'ya go...http://www.angus.org/pub/dd/dd_update08122013.pdf
scroll down and go through the list. Anything with the DDC notation is a tested carrier.

 

[farmerjan]

Had a dairy farmer that had a heifer born with a "horn" in the middle of her forehead. Started out as a bump. actually grew to about 2-3 inches sticking out. He called her his unicorn. He breeds all AI, couldn't find anything in the pedigrees anywhere that would suggest this. Never had it again, and he was very careful with that family of cows. Since he is all registered it was a concern but the vet said just a freak thing. I don't know about the angus defect but sounds like it could be that.

 

[jscunn]

What is the pedigree (Sire, Dam, MGS, etc) if it is DD then you should have a carrier on either side in the pedigree if you look back far enough?

 

[cars8014]

the bull is an A.I. bull and tested DD free. Which makes us wonder if it's just a birth defect?

 

[jscunn]

Have you DNA tested the calf to make sure he is sired by who you think he is sired by. Also having DNA pulled could also give the researchers a head start if it is a genetic defect other than DD.

That is the reason I asked for sire, MGS, MGGS to see if there were any common ancestors close up in the pedigree, not necessarily for DD but something unknown.