Cleft Lip/Pallet dunno if this is the right place for this?

[jersey lilly]

Hadda new calf a couple days ago, and right away I noticed somethin aint right with it's nose. I haven't gotten my hands on it yet to see if it has a cleft pallet as well, but that's what the nose looks like it'd be to me. Outta all the years we've had cattle we've never had anything like this. Was wonderin, could it be just a freak deformity, or could it be caused by the cow lackin somethin, who knows with this drought what that mighta been. They have free choice loose minerals 24/7.

 

[msscamp]

Oh, wow. I wish I could help, but I have never seen anything like that before, either.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That's a new one. Haven't ever heard anyone describe anything like that. If the dam OR the sire is a Purebred - you need to report it to the breed association.

 

[sidney411]

Does it seem to be nursing ok?

 

[jersey lilly]

Neither is registered, we run commercial cattle. Still aint ever had this happen or anyone I know had it happen.

She seems to nurse just fine, what little I've read on the matter it says even if the roof of their mouth is cleft it can suck if it's not too bad. (The teat covers the hole while nursin) but then when they begin to eat grass more they don't do as well, sometimes if it's bad enuff they just kinda waste away. I wanna see the roof of her mouth, but I'll hafta wait till we pen cows in a couple weeks. Ever time I get near her she takes off runnin like a deer LOL

 

[jkwilson]

Can't see the pic here, but I'll look tonight at home. Had one born last year, but it was dead when it hit the ground. Same bull same cow produced a very healthy calf this year. Same mineral both years.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Man that definitely is a cull for the salebarn!!! No you better put in the freezer second thought.

 

[jersey lilly]

Yeap freezer is where she'll go if she gets to a good size. Wouldnt git squat for it at the salebarn, any and all oddities brang terrible prices.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have seen some messed up calves through the years and at the salebarn. That is the first hair lipped calf.

 

[Sevierite]

We had a calf like this born last year. The cow was
a charolaisX and the bull was angus. We, too, were
concerned about the calf's ability to suck, but he did
well. He grazed just like any other calf and weighed
with the heavier calves when weaned. We sell our
calves to a buyer who looks at them here on the farm.
He was not concerned with the calf's looks...just as
long as it was able to eat. The calf brought the same
amount per pound as his brothers.

My son had a calf born this year that was missing half
of it's face. It had nostrils but there was nothing
beneath them to give them form. Needless to say,
this one did not survive. This calf was totally
unrelated to the other one.

 

[Rafter E]

This calf has the same thing yours has. He grew faster and thicker than most of our calves and sold for close to 700. a few months ago.

Keep the calf if he appears to stay healthy.

We run 1 pair per 20 acres here on rough terrain, poor grass. He prospered. The cleft did not hurt him in any way. One of our gentlest, healthiest calves.

I'd take another hairlip any day.

 

[jersey lilly]

oh neat!!! another one!! not that it's really a good thang, just that there's someone else out there that's had this happen. Yeap yers looks like he done real well. Big ole head, bet the body matched it LOL.

 

[Rafter E]

We called him Bully-boy, he was huge when we sold him, and very friendly. He liked to nudge and inspect our 14 year old yellow lab, just looked, and looked at her, sniffing and following her. We miss him.

 

[CALFMAN]

I have a three-week old Holstein bull that has no outward visible sign - but the inside of his mouth tells it all. Where the roof of the mouth is low and somewhat flat for normal calves - this one has a big dip. It doesn't appear that his sinus cavities are open to his mouth but he almost died before we got it figured out. He just can't nurse correctly. I had to fashion a nipple onto a PET Pepsi bottle. I then opened up a regular nipple and when I squeeze on the bottle, he can feed that way. It's slow but it turned into a challange for me. He seems to be able to eat Manna OK. I hope he does well once weaned.

 

[Beefy]

could be freak, genetic, toxic plant, or bvd related. helpful, i know.

 

[madamesophia]

Finally, I've been looking for over a year trying to find another hairlipped calf like my ox Max. He's a Holstein born to a dairy farmer in Denmark and said farmer is my husband's
Uncle. We got him as a present because they were going to butcher him not having high hopes for his health. His cleft splits his nose in 2 back to his upper dental ridge and his tongue hangs out to one side. He couldn't nurse but drank from a large bowl and he eats slower than other cows. We're wintering him in the barn to monitor his weight and start training him to help out like pull logs. He's very healthy and happy, just drools a lot. I'm wondering if supplementing his organic diet with organic oats soaked in warm water to make a very thin cereal with honey or molasses added would improve his vitamin intake and help him gain muscle? He's a real sweetie and proof that not all disabilities need to end up in the freezer or sale barn. Thanks from this small time homesteader.

 

[Lucky_P]

Cleft lip/cleft palate usually just an 'accident'; abnormal formation of those structures early in fetal development.
Not likely to be a heritable defect.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Cleft lip/cleft palate usually just an 'accident'; abnormal formation of those structures early in fetal development.
Not likely to be a heritable defect.

Good to know Lucky. Thank you

 

[Banjo]

I had a hairlip/cleftlip calf a couple of years ago. He is probably about 900 to a 1000 lbs. now.....just keeping him for the freezer. He grew somewhat slower than his mates but well enough. First time I ever seen it. I attributed it to possibly an inbreeding thing. I sometimes keep a bull from my own herd just for backup and he usually breeds a few. But who knows.
We used to see that occasionally in people here in the states and quite a bit still in some 3rd world countries. Its caused by something but I don't remember.