Hairless heifer

[Chris H]

My main reason for posting this was to find out what she'll end up doing. I pretty much knew the condition. I did remember that we had one new angus back in this herd. I'll be watching him next calving season. He's with heifers, not with this herd this breeding season. He was in there a few weeks until he damaged his penis..Didnt breed any cows after the first couple weeks.

Ours is almost 14 months now. She only spent several months outside in her life. Her hair got about as thick as yours shows right now, but she lost it again. Right now she has that much again. She looks nothing like her mother or sister, as far as body type. Her mother & sister are soggy, easy fleshing cows. This heifer is tight through the chest and just isn't easy fleshing, as far as fattening. She'll be OK for the butcher in another month, but she's behind what others would be if fed the way she's been fed.

 

[cowgirl8]

her front legs look awful!

I dont think they are painful, just callused...

 

[wacocowboy]

a friend had one he put sun screen on her and kept her in a small lot with a lot of shade she lived just fine until they took her to the butcher

 

[cowgirl8]

Chewy is almost covered in hair....

 

[rockridgecattle]

Having had our share of hairless wonders, I started researching it. I started looking over herd notes from us, and the inlaws.
Inlaws raised several of their own bulls and retained heifers, which passed this genetic condition down. It became a problem with a minimum of one a year in a 50 head sized herd. When we took over majority ownership of the cows, we had to change. New bulls, new genetics, bought some heifers, shipped older cows, shipped lines of cows. Our herd in the beginning was Hereford x char x sim. We brought in black and red angus. After the change out, we rarely got a rat tailed calf. I think one in 10 years in a larger sized herd.
Retained heifers and bulls will carry this and it will just get worse. They are poor doers when the bottom line is tight. That cow becomes a liability with a calf not pulling the cows weight.

If I were to recommend a course of action, start culling lines. Daughters, grand daughters, etc. change out the bulls from home grown to new blood. This will genetic disorder will become more prominent with out some serious changed and it will affect the bottom line.

Just the opinion of someone whose got that shirt stashed somewhere in the closet.

 

[cowgirl8]

For a few weeks we had a new angus bull on this herd. After a week he had lacerated his penis and was out for the rest of the year. We have him on his own herd this year and if any come out like this, he's gone. He's on heifers and his buddy lacerated his penis this year and is out. While at the vet i asked if the penis problem could be genetic and he said absolutely. Called the breeder and he said out of all the bulls he's sold he's never had a problem but for us to take the bull to the sale and he'll replace with whatever we get.
We plan to go to a different breeder to replace these bulls this winter.

 

[Chris H]

Having had our share of hairless wonders, I started researching it. I started looking over herd notes from us, and the inlaws.
Inlaws raised several of their own bulls and retained heifers, which passed this genetic condition down. It became a problem with a minimum of one a year in a 50 head sized herd. When we took over majority ownership of the cows, we had to change. New bulls, new genetics, bought some heifers, shipped older cows, shipped lines of cows. Our herd in the beginning was Hereford x char x sim. We brought in black and red angus. After the change out, we rarely got a rat tailed calf. I think one in 10 years in a larger sized herd.
Retained heifers and bulls will carry this and it will just get worse. They are poor doers when the bottom line is tight. That cow becomes a liability with a calf not pulling the cows weight.

If I were to recommend a course of action, start culling lines. Daughters, grand daughters, etc. change out the bulls from home grown to new blood. This will genetic disorder will become more prominent with out some serious changed and it will affect the bottom line.

Just the opinion of someone whose got that shirt stashed somewhere in the closet.

If it's in the Hereford lines, then genetic test for the hairless gene. I assume you don't care about registration papers but to register an animal the sire must be tested if the sire was born 2012 or after. Buy a bull tested free of the defect and you will be guaranteed you will not get a hairless calf. If the mother is not hairless but carries the gene then you have 50% chance of the offspring having the gene but will have hair. It's an effective way to guarantee no hairless calves without deleting a female line you really like.

Our hairless heifer is going off to the local butcher in 2 weeks. She'll be 16 months. She's in decent shape.

I don't know if it is the same gene that would cause this in other breeds.

 

[cowgirl8]

A few more months and maybe she'll look almost normal...Hair is beginning to cover her head..

 

[cowgirl8]

She's still a little strange looking, but is covered in hair.