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CKC1586

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I am going to whine a bit. :cry2: I got the blood test results from my twin to a bull heifer....she tested positive as a freemartin. I tried to not get my hopes up but well, I am still disappointed. I didn't need another beef animal.
This has not been a good calving season for me, first bull calf was born with contracted tendons, worse I have ever seen. Got him up enough to nurse on his own after 2 1/2 weeks on a straw bale. Splinted him for a while, and he is still not getting up on his legs normally, appears to have affected his knees too. Vet says I could take him to the college for surgery that may help, but am thinking why put the money into him as I would not sell him as a breeder. He will be freezer beef. Am I thinking wrong about that? There are so many theories I have read about the contracted tendons, I don't think I would chance using him if he were to get the surgery and recover normally.
The embryo I implanted did not take. Then came the twins. They are growing great and look good. But only one will be marketable. Bummer.
 
Bad year here too. My first set of calves were twins . . . both bulls . . . both dead. At least there's value in a live one.

I don't have any experience with contracted tendons, but I made myself a promise this year. I fought through a cow who continued to prolapse because I was determined to get her calf down. I won the battle, but I'm sure I lost the war. The calf is down and they're both fine (I stiched momma up again right after calving) but I'm sure I lost a ton of "time and headache" money just because I hate to lose and momma's going to the butcher still anyway. I promised myself I'd cut my losses early from here on out . . . at least try.

The first thing my dad taught me when he was showing me how to water ski was "when you fall, let go of the rope".

Sorry for your year.
 
thats just part of having cows.alot of times we dont always get what we want esp when it comes to cows.
 
I know, I know but I guess I still needed to whine. It is heartbreaking to see that little (not really, he is big and beautiful) contracted bull trying to get around. He sure is a good lookin calf....woulda, coulda, if only etc. etc.... Ya, I am still whining.
Sure is hard to build a herd this way...

angus9259: Your Dad is right about the rope deal. I was sure tempted to load the little guy up and take him out to MSU to see what they could do with him. But just not practical.
 
Is fine to whine, you have had a bum calving season after so much work and anticipation. Am glad you have healthy mommas yet and 2 live calves. I don;t see CKC, how you could have done anything different, certainly nothing better. There is always next year ~ yes? ;-)
 
CKC1586":kg0b971q said:
Am I thinking wrong about that? There are so many theories I have read about the contracted tendons, I don't think I would chance using him if he were to get the surgery and recover normally.

I guess I'm missing something - what does contracted tendons have to do with a bulls ability to service cows?
 
msscamp":my57sw1g said:
CKC1586":my57sw1g said:
Am I thinking wrong about that? There are so many theories I have read about the contracted tendons, I don't think I would chance using him if he were to get the surgery and recover normally.

I guess I'm missing something - what does contracted tendons have to do with a bulls ability to service cows?
Well that is the confusing part, some say that it could be genetic and he could pass it on??? There are many theories and mentors have repeated only our best bulls should be used. msscamp, have you had experience with contracted tendons? Have you had them surgically corrected? What was outcome? This guy's are really bent and appears to affect the knees too.
Anyone ever have surgery performed for this problem????
 
angie":3edsbfsg said:
Is fine to whine, you have had a bum calving season after so much work and anticipation. Am glad you have healthy mommas yet and 2 live calves. I don;t see CKC, how you could have done anything different, certainly nothing better. There is always next year ~ yes? ;-)
Thanks angie, yes I should concentrate on the positive and hope for a better crop next year.
 
I don't know about genetic transference of contracted tendons, but I wouldn't mess around with it. If you sell it to someone and their calves have problems (genetic or otherwise) there will always be doubt and speculation and possibly a smudge on you otherwise flawless program. Be patient, there will be plenty more bulls coming down the line you won't have to worry about.

Easy for me to say because I don't have to do it!
 
CKC1586":1176td0v said:
msscamp":1176td0v said:
CKC1586":1176td0v said:
Am I thinking wrong about that? There are so many theories I have read about the contracted tendons, I don't think I would chance using him if he were to get the surgery and recover normally.

I guess I'm missing something - what does contracted tendons have to do with a bulls ability to service cows?

Well that is the confusing part, some say that it could be genetic and he could pass it on???

That is a new one.

There are many theories and mentors have repeated only our best bulls should be used.

I don't believe I would hold contracted tendons against a prospective herd bull. Contracted tendons are generally a result of a large calf, a smaller mother, and a lack of room - that's it. If you're getting a large number of contracted tendons calves, you might want to look at your feeding program - overfeeding/too much protein in the last trimester tends to result in larger birthweight calves. Depending on the cows, that could possibly increase the number of calves born with contracted tendons.

msscamp, have you had experience with contracted tendons? Have you had them surgically corrected? What was outcome? This guy's are really bent and appears to affect the knees too.

Yes, we've had a number of calves over the years who were born with contracted tendons - heifers as well as cows - with no correlation to any specific bull. None of them had surgery, none of them were splinted, and all of them straightened out in a week or two with no further problems - breeding or otherwise. Of course it's going to appear to affect the knees - when a calf can't stand on his feet due to contracted tendons, it generally tends to throw the legs out of alignment, and makes his knees look weird. Give him a week or two, and he will probably straighten out just fine - no pun intended. You might consider penning this calf and his mother in a smaller pen so he doesn't have to travel a long ways to find mom when he's hungry.

 
[
I guess I'm missing something - what does contracted tendons have to do with a bulls ability to service cows?[/quote]

Well that is the confusing part, some say that it could be genetic and he could pass it on???

That is a new one.

There are many theories and mentors have repeated only our best bulls should be used.

I don't believe I would hold contracted tendons against a prospective herd bull. Contracted tendons are generally a result of a large calf, a smaller mother, and a lack of room - that's it. If you're getting a large number of contracted tendons calves, you might want to look at your feeding program - overfeeding/too much protein in the last trimester tends to result in larger birthweight calves. Depending on the cows, that could possibly increase the number of calves born with contracted tendons.

msscamp, have you had experience with contracted tendons? Have you had them surgically corrected? What was outcome? This guy's are really bent and appears to affect the knees too.

Yes, we've had a number of calves over the years who were born with contracted tendons - heifers as well as cows - with no correlation to any specific bull. None of them had surgery, none of them were splinted, and all of them straightened out in a week or two with no further problems - breeding or otherwise. Of course it's going to appear to affect the knees - when a calf can't stand on his feet due to contracted tendons, it generally tends to throw the legs out of alignment, and makes his knees look weird. Give him a week or two, and he will probably straighten out just fine - no pun intended. You might consider penning this calf and his mother in a smaller pen so he doesn't have to travel a long ways to find mom when he's hungry.

[/quote][/quote]
He will be 3 months old the 4th of July, and he still isn't "up on his legs" and it is hard for him to get around. He wasn't a huge calf, his mom is a big girl. The girls were getting first cutting and mineral only from November to April. I have seen the occasional calf with contracted tendons but always have been fine within a couple of days or a week or two at the very most. This is my first time it has happened with one of my own and the worse I have ever seen.
 
CKC1586":3171c2sc said:
He will be 3 months old the 4th of July, and he still isn't "up on his legs" and it is hard for him to get around. He wasn't a huge calf, his mom is a big girl. The girls were getting first cutting and mineral only from November to April. I have seen the occasional calf with contracted tendons but always have been fine within a couple of days or a week or two at the very most. This is my first time it has happened with one of my own and the worse I have ever seen.

I have never seen a case of contracted tendons that took that long to resolve. I'm thinking you've got something on your hands besides contracted tendons, but I don't know what it is - sorry. In this case, I would agree with not keeping this calf as a bull. I'm curious as to why you didn't mention the age of the calf in your original post?
 
msscamp":2zm1ag86 said:
CKC1586":2zm1ag86 said:
He will be 3 months old the 4th of July, and he still isn't "up on his legs" and it is hard for him to get around. He wasn't a huge calf, his mom is a big girl. The girls were getting first cutting and mineral only from November to April. I have seen the occasional calf with contracted tendons but always have been fine within a couple of days or a week or two at the very most. This is my first time it has happened with one of my own and the worse I have ever seen.

I have never seen a case of contracted tendons that took that long to resolve. I'm thinking you've got something on your hands besides contracted tendons, but I don't know what it is - sorry. In this case, I would agree with not keeping this calf as a bull. I'm curious as to why you didn't mention the age of the calf in your original post?
Well, not sure why I didn't put their birth dates in my original "whine", guess it was an oversight. I have posted about my calving when it was all going on (coming out ;-) ) back the first of April, can't remember the thread title, I was contemplating inducing labor on his mom as she was overdue and driving me crazy with anticipation/worry etc. he was 8 days overdue. Guess we will have our first experience with veal here soon.
 
Sure that bull calf doesn't have a joint infection? It would explain him still having trouble after this long, and I've seen them develop before when a calf had contracted tendons that badly.

As far as contracted tendons goes... yes, it is usually genetic in horses and often in cows. Can also be caused by a big calf that doesn't have enough room in the cow.
 

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