cow with big teat

[chriskelly65]

I have a cow, (approx. 12 years old) who always has one giant teat that the calves can't use for a while after birth. This is an inherited trait. Her grandmother, her mother, and she all had it. The calf is nursing on other teats and getting milk. Should I worry about this teat, even tho she does it every year? My husband (newly retired with all of this time on his hands) won't let it go. As you can see we keep our Black Angus cross cows for a lifetime. Our small herd, is generational to us. They have great dispositions and we keep 3 breeders at a time, all related. This will probably be her last time as she is starting to show her age. Her grandmother lived to 18, and had a calf every year until 17. Don't want to be an alarmist, but need to pacify the husband. Thank you. ( My cows are all basketball players. Grandma was Michael Jordan, have
Scottie Pippen, Manu Ginobili, Kobe, Kawhi. Just thought I'de pass that along. Also, the cows are MINE, not his

 

[wbvs58]

Personally I would just leave it and the back pressure will cause it to dry up and as it starts to reduce in size the more vigorous calf may then start suckling it. I am not saying that is the correct thing to do, it is what I do. I did have one a few years ago where the unsuckled teat went gangrenous and the whole teat and quarter just fell out, I saw it happen. The cow never missed a beat and raised a great calf.

Ken

 

[SBMF 2015]

If this is going to be her last calf,and not the first year her teat has looked like this. I would not worry about it. As long as the calf seems satisfied nursing the other 3 it will all be fine.

 

[CG1]

I have a cow like this too. I got her from a dairy as a calf and its my understanding they didn't keep her because of this trait. Her dam also had this. She actually has 7 teats. The back one gets oddly large. She has only had one calf but she does fine and like you're saying it just goes away with time and actually becomes tiny once her calf was on her for a month. She is about to calf with her second any day. That one teat is big again but she fed her last calf well.

I love my herd and I wouldn't cull her for that personally. Not if the calves are doing well that's for sure. Lots of mammals have a bad boob

 

[WFfarm]

Offer to sell her to your husband and then he can do what he wants with her. Make the price fairly high.

 

[76 Bar]

I did have one a few years ago where the unsuckled teat went gangrenous and the whole teat and quarter just fell out, I saw it happen. The cow never missed a beat and raised a great calf.

Been there done that. Was dumbstruck. Hardly bled. Figured she was headed to the bone pile in short order but like yours, went on to raise a top notch calf before she went to town.

 

[greggy]

I have a cow like this too. I got her from a dairy as a calf and its my understanding they didn't keep her because of this trait. Her dam also had this. She actually has 7 teats. The back one gets oddly large. She has only had one calf but she does fine and like you're saying it just goes away with time and actually becomes tiny once her calf was on her for a month. She is about to calf with her second any day. That one teat is big again but she fed her last calf well.

I love my herd and I wouldn't cull her for that personally. Not if the calves are doing well that's for sure. Lots of mammals have a bad boob

I thought society was progressing toward a better cosmetic appeal, poor teets mean no place on Earth ?

 

[greggy]

At 12 years of success, why is it now time to worry ?

 

[Rafter S]

At 12 years of success, why is it now time to worry ?

I have to agree. I wouldn't have kept her grandmother or any of her daughters, but that's just me. I'm not judging you for keeping her, but if this is her last calf anyway I don't see what difference it makes.

If it bothers your husband tell him to catch her and milk that teat down. That may shrink it enough for the calf to start nursing it. He may need to do that several times. (Only do this if he really knows what he's doing and he has good health insurance.)