Cow with extra teats

[LGodlove]

I have a black angus cow that has had a nice calf for me and suckled him just fine that has a couple extra small teats on her bag. She's an older gal with a nice temperament like the rest of my herd and is due to calf in Jan or Feb.

Is it true that cows with extra teats are more prone to cancer and can someone explain this oddity to me?

Also, I don't know if this matters, but I bought her at the sale barn, she was in dire need of groceries, and was missing the last half of her tail.

Thanks.

 

[backhoeboogie]

The extra teats are not something that concerns me. I have a couple with two "extra" which are essentially similar to small nodules on the udder. Some folks advise trimming them off when the calves are about 8 months old. I don't do that. It would be a discount at the sale barn.

The shortened tail would be more bothersome with me. The tail is used to switch biting flies. Cows will throw their heads to ward off flies in front and switch their tail for those in back.

In spite of all the efforts I go through battling flies, they are a severe problem at times. Flies can take their toil.

With the discount for the extra teat, and an added discount for the shortened tail, I would think that cow could be picked up for canner or cutter prices at the sale barn. If she works for you and you got her at a bargain, just help her battle the flies. It is an added burden.

 

[randiliana]

As long as the extra teats are not so large that they cause a problem with a newborn calf, I wouln't worry about them. If they are large enough, a newborn calf may latch onto them rather than the 'viable' teats, and at worst, starve to death, or possibly not get enough colostrum at birth. Now, having said that, it is not a major problem. I have never heard of extra teats resulting in cancer.

 

[dun]

No big deal. Just ignore them, I'm sure the calf does. In a dairy cow that's being milked by a machine it's a little different, but if they're out of the way we just leave them.
And no, it's not true that it's causes a proness to cancer. If it did 99% of the dairy cows in the world would have cancer. You just wouldn;t notice cause they've been cut off as calves.
Where do some of these old wives tales get started?

 

[Gate Opener]

Probably some old wives sitting around telling tales.

 

[dun]

Probably some old wives sitting around telling tales.

Probably more like some old men sitting around telling tales about their wives

 

[Gate Opener]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[bigbull338]

the extra teats wont hurt anything.id just leave them alone.

 

[msscamp]

Is it true that cows with extra teats are more prone to cancer and can someone explain this oddity to me?

No.

Also, I don't know if this matters, but I bought her at the sale barn, she was in dire need of groceries, and was missing the last half of her tail.

Thanks.

It doesn't matter. We've bought cows with extra tits, and we've had heifers born with extra tits. It's just one of those things that goes with cattle. Her tail was probably missing because another animal stepped on it, or she got it caught in something and ripped it off.