Genetic inheritance or super freakish coincidence?

[inyati13]

As long as she recovers she should be able to re-breed.

Vets are invaluable when it comes to health and emergencies. With that said, I don't take any genetic or breeding advice from them. It's not their area of expertise.

AllForage, there are vets who specialize in genetics and breeding. I know one that was the professor of Reproductive Physiology at the University of Kentucky. If he don't know breeding then no one would. But in general you are correct. The ones that come to your farm in general practice are rarely experts in a specific area. I had a conversation with a vet in our area on parasites and I can tell you, he did not know parasitology.

All the schooling in the world don't guarantee a commitment and a unwaivering selection of one's perfect animal. Matter of fact, the worship of every scientific study and latest fad makes them even worse in my opinion. Some are too smart for their own good.

I still stand by not taking their advice on breeding.

I see your point but does anyone have a guarantee for arriving at the perfect animal? The point I was making is that there are vets who specialize in the reproductive sciences. They know the language, concepts, principles, body of knowledge, etc. of that discipline but your point is understood. Breeding is also an art, they may be a student of breeding but they may not be able to arrive at the objective you covet. You may not be well served to take their advice. Tahe care and be safe.

 

[Lucky_P]

Uterine prolapse - strictly a reproductive 'accident'; not a heritable or genetic defect, not due to any abnormality or inherent 'weakness' in any supporting structures.
A cow or heifer that prolapses her uterus is no more likely to 'repeat the performance' than any other cow in the herd - or in the entire world, for that matter.
I'd generally have no hesitation to keep a cow that had prolapsed her uterus.
Now, with respect to glacierridge's prolapsed heifer whose dam prolapsed... there's likely no predisposition toward uterine prolapse outside of the possibility of an abnormally small or improperly-shaped pelvic canal - which probably IS heritable. Small/narrow pelvic canal --> hard/difficult delivery --> increased likelihood that the cow will 'feel the need' to keep pushing, because of bruising/swelling, etc., which can result in uterine prolapse.

I manually prolapsed one one time, to suture a uterine laceration that had occurred while pulling a BIG calf (had a hard time getting it back in, 'cause of all the air that had rushed into the abdomen through the tear). With a wide-open cervix, it's not all that difficult to do - just reached in, got a good grip, and pulled that sucker right out. If the cow has had a difficult delivery and feels the need to continue 'pushing' due to bruising, etc. it doesn't take much to evert that uterus, and it's not because of structural unsoundness.

Vaginal prolapse, now that's another story altogether. They tend to recur, and usually get progressively worse with subsequent pregnancies, and a heritable genetic predisposition has definitely been documented. Wouldn't keep one of those - or her daughters - and wouldn't use a son as a herdsire.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

If it was me, i would give the calf a chance, and i would sell the cow after she gets the calf weaned, but that's just me.

 

[dun]

Conventional wisdom is that if the prolapse after calving it's a fluke and won;t do it again, if they do it before calving they'll do it again.

 

[robertwhite]

Conventional wisdom is that if the prolapse after calving it's a fluke and won;t do it again, if they do it before calving they'll do it again.

Can you define before and after? The heifer I have prolapsed just as the calf was almost totally out of her. Long labor and a lot of pushing.

 

[ANAZAZI]

Prolapse is rare. A cow that prolapse one year does not have to do it again; it is however far more likely that she will, compared to other cows. An obvious example of a cow that should be culled, be it genetic or not.
There is no "prolapse gene", but there is likely a set of individual genes that elevate the risk when they are combined.
It might be bad luck, but I cull for bad luck, and those that cull cows with bad luck has cows with far better luck than others.
As for the daughters; I cull those cows that exhibit problems, and give their daughters a chance to be culled on their own merit.

 

[inyati13]

Prolapse is rare. A cow that prolapse one year does not have to do it again; it is however far more likely that she will, compared to other cows. An obvious example of a cow that should be culled, be it genetic or not.
There is no "prolapse gene", but there is likely a set of individual genes that elevate the risk when they are combined.
It might be bad luck, but I cull for bad luck, and those that cull cows with bad luck has cows with far better luck than others.
As for the daughters; I cull those cows that exhibit problems, and give their daughters a chance to be culled on their own merit.

I agree with your point on a genetic connection. The statement I underlined is where I was coming from. I am not going to pursue the issue because I have no data to use but a logical possibility exists that the genome of an animal that prolapses contains genes that influence the occurence of prolapse. In the same way that a fungus causes the nail disease in humans but some people are naturally resistant to it. I have it and the doctor who treated it told me that inheritance plays a role. My Dad has a terrible case of it but at 90, who cares!

 

[WYO CB]

A vaginal prolapse( the one before calving) is very heritable, just ask any one that runs Hereford cattle.

A uterine prolapse not so much but if a cow has done it once she has a slightly greater risk of doing it again.

So keep the calf if its good enough probably sell the cow.