Deformed Calf

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randiliana

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This is a first for us. Never had a deformed calf here before, that I can recall. Cow calved this afternoon. At first glance we just thought she had had the first calf of twins. When we got the calf up though we noticed that there was something strange about its back legs. But we just dragged it into the barn to check the cow for another calf, which wasn't in there. So back to the calf. He was pretty lively, but couldn't get up. When we finally got him up his front was developed fine, but the backlegs were like a jackrabbit (for lack of a better description). The one leg was worse than the other, and his fetlocks would not bend.

The cow is Hereford, and the bull was Black Angus. No idea what bull in particular, since she was in the Community Pasture last summer. We fostered one of our bottle calves onto her. She seems to have accepted it with no problems.

Here are some pic's of the deformed calf.
46deformeda.jpg


46deformed.jpg


46deformedb.jpg


46deformedd.jpg


Any ideas??
 
Randiliana,

Well I have a theory about this, and mind you, it's only a theory.

First I had one like this year, but it was only one front leg.
My neighbor had one that was atresia ani (born without an anis ). That was the first one of those I've ever seen.
Both of our farms have overhead high voltage power lines running through them.

If you remember a short while back the medical community said women who live neat high voltage power lines have twice as many miscarriages and deformed babies as those who don't. They also warned pregnant women against using a heating blanket.

Now remember I said it's only a theory, but I believe these high voltage power lines can cause the same problems in cattle as they do in people.

Do you have high voltage lines running through your property?
SL
 
Sir Loin":1iofeq1f said:
Randiliana,

Well I have a theory about this, and mind you, it's only a theory.

First I had one like this year, but it was only one front leg.
My neighbor had one that was atresia ani (born without an anis ). That was the first one of those I've ever seen.
Both of our farms have overhead high voltage power lines running through them.

If you remember a short while back the medical community said women who live neat high voltage power lines have twice as many miscarriages and deformed babies as those who don't. They also warned pregnant women against using a heating blanket.

Now remember I said it's only a theory, but I believe these high voltage power lines can cause the same problems in cattle as they do in people.

Do you have high voltage lines running through your property?
SL

Not where this cow had been over the last 9 months. Last summer she was in the Community Pasture running on about 7 sections of open prairie. We are just north of the Can/US border, and she was about 2 miles off that border. No big power lines down there, in fact it is pretty darn barren down there. And our home place is all buried power lines.

Now, if she had been at our other pasture it could have been a consideration as one of the main lines runs along the south edge of the pasture. Could be a problem, but we have run cattle there for the last 10 years and this is the only deformed calf we have ever had.
 
Randiliana,

Well it's obviously genetic, and half the genes come from the bull, how about him? Was he ever kept under power lines or in an electric fence?
Just a thory!
 
When I had my Forest Service permit, we would occasionly have a calf that was deformed like yours. My vet told me it was from the cow eating lupin at a certain stage of pregnacy. When I got rid of the permit, my cow were no longer around lupin at that stage of pregnacy, and the problem has went away.
 
Sir Loin":1xdzpqpq said:
Randiliana,

Well it's obviously genetic, and half the genes come from the bull, how about him? Was he ever kept under power lines or in an electric fence?
Just a thory!

Well, could be. But I think that is unlikely. As for which bull, I have no idea. She was in a Community Pasture with 5 bulls. And only 1 was ours.
 
Rangenerd":y563mptn said:
When I had my Forest Service permit, we would occasionly have a calf that was deformed like yours. My vet told me it was from the cow eating lupin at a certain stage of pregnacy. When I got rid of the permit, my cow were no longer around lupin at that stage of pregnacy, and the problem has went away.

As far as I know we don't have lupins growing in this part of the country. Could have been some other plant though??
 
If it's a single anomoly I would'nt be too quick to blame the sire or the dam - Chalk it up to s#$% happens - once and a while nature just tosses a monkey wrench into the mess. I know over the years we've had a few odd things with calves - we've had them born with internal organs on the outside instead of in - or the occasional leg deformaty - you just do what has to be done and go on with your day - it's a bummer but it doesn't pay to over analyise a single occurance - Maybe God just checks in now and again to make sure we're all paying attention?
 
cowboyup216":1640kgcv said:
I doubt it was genetic or you would have more calves like that more than likely. I have seen a few calves like that and it was usually caused by a selinium deficiency. In fact I had a calf this year whos back legs were twisted and looked somewhat like that and its front legs were knuckled under. Stupid cow hadnt been eating her minerals after a shot of Bo-Se 3 weeks later it was running around like nothing had happened. Im not saying that is what happened here. However, as stated previously I do not think it is genetic or you would have had more calves such as this. It could even be a possibility that she ate a toxic weed or something that caused it. I dont know if it is the picture or what but it also appears that this calves front legs are longer and bigger than the back.

Doubt it is selenium. We have had troubles with that before, and I know what it looks like. As for genetic, I have no idea. We bought her 2 years ago as a bred. Last calf was fine. I think that the hind legs were the same length as the front, just not formed correctly.
 
sjr725":3tvlmdct said:
If it's a single anomoly I would'nt be too quick to blame the sire or the dam - Chalk it up to s#$% happens - once and a while nature just tosses a monkey wrench into the mess. I know over the years we've had a few odd things with calves - we've had them born with internal organs on the outside instead of in - or the occasional leg deformaty - you just do what has to be done and go on with your day - it's a bummer but it doesn't pay to over analyise a single occurance - Maybe God just checks in now and again to make sure we're all paying attention?

Not too worried about it. She'll get another chance, and as to the bull, well, who knows. Just though someone may have some insight to this.
 
Yeah - who knows what happens in these cases - This year one of my favorite cows - a really nice big herf x char 6 yr old cow had a stillborn calf, I noticed she was starting labor - but not hard, went in got a coffee refill, came back and she had calved (wasn't gone 30 min) and she was all done - trying to get the calf to stand - nudging him, he was all cleaned off - but was born dead - she let me wrap him up in a towel and load him on my horse and she followed all the way to the barn - not aggressive at all - just confused. Her last years calf weaned at the top of the weights, so she's a keeper too - you never know?
 
Things happen..the "blueprint"is so complicated it's a wonder anything is born right..
 
Re:
I wasn't thinking along the lines of a perminate or long term effect on a cow or bull, but more like a one time damage thing to a single egg/sperm or embryo.

Doe your bull wear boxers or briefs?
 
Sir Loin":82dpf322 said:
Doe your bull wear boxers or briefs?

I would guess Randi's bull lets em swing but I wear briefs , and I wear em tight. Figure If I can sterilize myself the wife won't make me get steered!

Big civil suit just settled over electrical problems up here SL - hydro company put a transfer station over an underground aquifer, which travelled under a guys farm. Problems for years with dairy cows going off water, low output, etc..

They finally did an electric survey of the place and there was electricity everywhere. Farmer got an award, station was moved, but as it turns out his wife has now died from the effects of the electricity. Don't ask me for details, but if enough interest I will look it up.

Randilianna . As much as I hate to say it, cowboyup216 and I think the same on this calf. If you had Se deficiency before, I don't think it goes away. I've only had one white muscle but the back leg descriptions are so similar. Good thing about it is it is relatively easy to fix with minerals.

But I also respect your on the spot assessment and previous history with it. Tough just looking at a photo.
 
AngusLimoX":3fkgc4at said:
Randilianna . As much as I hate to say it, cowboyup216 and I think the same on this calf. If you had Se deficiency before, I don't think it goes away. I've only had one white muscle but the back leg descriptions are so similar. Good thing about it is it is relatively easy to fix with minerals.

But I also respect your on the spot assessment and previous history with it. Tough just looking at a photo.

Oh, I agree, we will always be in a selenium deficient area, and problems will crop up. That being said, I believe that selenium only affects muscles. The problems this calf had was more than just muscles. It was more a bone deformity, or possibly a tendon deformity.
 
That's more than muscle deformity, you did the right thing. Why postpone the inevitable?

cfpinz
 
cfpinz":3ajj2gr8 said:
That's more than muscle deformity, you did the right thing. Why postpone the inevitable?

cfpinz

That was our assesment. We might have tried to mess with it a bit longer if we hadn't had 5 healthy calves that we were bottle feeding, but I don't think it would ever have come out of that. Maybe with a lot of money to a vet, but even then I doubt it. It really sucks to have to put a baby down, but much better than watching it suffer.
 

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