Experience with Rat-tail

[Rosielou]

*Picture Heavy*

I have been asked to post some newer pictures of my rat-tail, so I thought I would just make a thread showing my experience with my rat-tail bull calf and pictures as he has grown. This is the first rat-tail I have had experience with, so I thought I would share it and ask for other people's experiences on this and if mine is similar.
Here is rat-tail for those who aren't familiar: It is a form of congenital hypotrichosis, commonly know as the "rat-tail syndrome," occurs in a small percentage of calves produced by crossing some Continental cattle breeds with cattle that are black in color. These calves are characterized by short, curly, malformed, sometimes sparse hair and a lack of normal tail switch development.

Here some links for those who are interested:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10340580
http://www.journalofanimalscience.org/c ... /1144.long
http://beefmagazine.com/mag/beef_right_alley_2

Background- Bought the momma as a pretty young heifer from the sale a few years ago, so I don't know the breed, but I would assume Brangus x Char or Beefmaster x Char. She was bred and we did not know it, calf was at least 100+ lbs, so we had to pull it, and was dead by the time we got it out. So, first calf lost. Last year she was bred to our black angus, which resulted in this rat-tail bull calf. Calf is about 7 months now. The reason we have not sold him is we are fixing the corral.

Here is his momma way before calving- last year I think. Sorry I don't have any recent pictures, though she looks the same, just has an udder now.

Here is the calf from a couple days old until today.

1-2 months.

4 months.

5-6 months.

And now today at 7 months.

Here are some half brothers for comparison(same sire) so you will notice the difference in muscle definition.
calf is 6-7 months.

calf is 7 months.

6-7 months. (no this calf is not roach backed, just hunching his back.)

younger picture to show straighter back.

He has always had sparse, curly, wiry hair and no tail switch. If you have read about rat-tails, it's common that they don't weigh as much as the others at weaning for some reason. I have not noticed much difference in growth, but I have noticed lack of muscle definition, rather it be because he has weird hair which changes the appearance or just because of his genetics, I can't be sure. This is the first calf I have seen his mother have. He has grown at the pace of the others, though ugly and having sinewy muscling, I haven't noticed much of a difference in him and the other calves. At birth, I did think he was blind in one of his eyes because it appeared to be milky/blue, but it was normal a couple days later, so I did think that was odd. But, he has always appeared fully alert and appears to see well on both sides, though he does squint in that eye in sunlight often. I'm not sure if this is a defect or caused by sparse hair growth. Either way, it does not seem to bother him now other than the squinting.

So far, I have really only noticed he's just plain ugly, but I have not had high hopes for him to look the same as his siblings, so I am not disappointed. I expect he will be docked at the sale, which can't be helped, though irritating, and might weigh just a few pounds less than his brothers because he lacks the muscling that they do. I will try to post a follow up after he is sold, but it might be sparse because I am so busy.

 

[gizmom]

Some good information, we have one cow that has a tail like that but it was stepped on when she was a day old and it pinched the end of it off so she has the look but it isn't truly a rat tail. I bet she would be docked if at the sale barn.

Gizmom

 

[Rosielou]

Some good information, we have one cow that has a tail like that but it was stepped on when she was a day old and it pinched the end of it off so she has the look but it isn't truly a rat tail. I bet she would be docked if at the sale barn.

Gizmom

Thanks, I hope I put it together well, sometimes I write too much. Yes, the dock at the sale is the one thing that I find irritating about them. I'm hoping it won't be too much.

 

[Williamsv]

Thanks for posting the good pictures and information. I have never seen one with a tail like that. Little Rat-Tail has really grown. I hope he does well at the sale for you. It has been interesting to watch him grow.

 

[dryfork2]

As hot as the market is the dock amount isntthat bad. let the prices get cheaper and the dockage will be greater.

 

[Taurus]

As hot as the market is the dock amount isntthat bad. let the prices get cheaper and the dockage will be greater.

Unfortunately I wish it was true. Any cattle with a defect doesn't always get same price as a normal feeder calf even with a dock. If he was sold at any local sale barns here, he may brings $400-500 instead of $1,000. The rat tails got sold cheaply because of the risks they came in with. They may die in feedlot due to cold weather and they are slow to finish out so its not really benefits the buyers.

 

[Rafter S]

The only experience I have with them was many years ago when my father sold a calf at the auction barn that they called out as rat tail. It got docked pretty bad. Dad asked the guy that owned the auction and he said they often have other health issues and that was the reason for the price difference.

 

[Rosielou]

Yeah, I figure the less hair the more possibility of more health issues. Here it rarely even snows, so he would probably be okay, but I know if he goes up north the mortality chance increases. I hope I only get docked a couple hundred at most, but I guess I won't know until he sells.

 

[Taurus]

Yeah, I figure the less hair the more possibility of more health issues. Here it rarely even snows, so he would probably be okay, but I know if he goes up north the mortality chance increases. I hope I only get docked a couple hundred at most, but I guess I won't know until he sells.

Just don't get your hopes up, he's likely gonna get docked badly even at your sale barn.

 

[Chuckie]

He sure looks healthy.

 

[M5farm]

I got one too that is a year old and will only weigh 500#. I'm gonna eat her what looks like another year at this point.

 

[Taurus]

I got one too that is a year old and will only weigh 500#. I'm gonna eat her what looks like another year at this point.

My old FFA advisor had one too, out of a Hereford cow and a black Angus bull. He kept it in a school barn during winter and when it was a year old, it only weights less than 460lbs. Ended up as a gomer bull at the school for few months (artificial insemination classes) then slaughtered him after the class was over. He was only 700lbs at slaughter.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I get blessed with aleast one a season,I know where mine comes from...it's the Simmental influence. Calf does good on moma but, once their on their own in a northern or western feedlot.. They can't hair up enough to stand the cold. all the the energy goes to staying alive..sadly there's a reason for the dock....

 

[Bigfoot]

I have my fair share every year. I've got 2 now, and one that looks borderline, never had that before.

 

[Nesikep]

if 7wts are going for 250/cwt, and you get docked 100/cwt, if he's 600 lbs you're still getting $900. which is better than you got for a good calf just last year

 

[Taurus]

if 7wts are going for 250/cwt, and you get docked 100/cwt, if he's 600 lbs you're still getting $900. which is better than you got for a good calf just last year

That's quite high for a rattail calf.

 

[fitz]

I had those come along when I started crossing the Simmental/Angus. Seems like they usually came from the same cows.
I've tired to remove the ones that gave me rattail calves. Not to say I won't see more of them as we go along, but as I move towards a mostly sim/angus cow it's become far less an issue.
Market wise, I've seen it both ways. Sometimes they would get docked and sometimes they would bring the same as anything else going thru that day.

fitz

 

[bird dog]

I love it that they get docked but then again I am in a southern climate. I buy everyone that goes off cheap. In my experience they gain about the same on pasture as anything else.
Look at this way, would you rather buy a #1 calf for 3.00/lb and sell him for less money per lb as he gets bigger or buy a 1.75/lb calf that sells for the same when he is 300 lbs heavier. Even if is daily gain is 10% less. the math works in your favor.
It is one of the few times that an individual has the advantage over a order buyer who wold be fired for buying one. I wish I could find more of them.

 

[Rosielou]

Sorry I have been busy, but we took him to the sale today along with 2 others, so they will sell tomorrow. I'll try to report back here what he brings when I get the check.

 

[Rosielou]

I love it that they get docked but then again I am in a southern climate. I buy everyone that goes off cheap. In my experience they gain about the same on pasture as anything else.
Look at this way, would you rather buy a #1 calf for 3.00/lb and sell him for less money per lb as he gets bigger or buy a 1.75/lb calf that sells for the same when he is 300 lbs heavier. Even if is daily gain is 10% less. the math works in your favor.
It is one of the few times that an individual has the advantage over a order buyer who wold be fired for buying one. I wish I could find more of them.

Yes, there is a study that they can be more profitable because you can buy them cheaper, though I can't remember the article. I don't know if it would be as advantageous in a feedlot that has a harsh winter like up north, alot of them would probably die. But I think deep south it would be fine if it wasn't a bad winter.