Ok have a neighbor who has 2 years of this going on. just bull calves heifer calves are normal. the bull calves don't survive. So I suggested a vet get involved this time and get tissue samples to see if it is some kind of poisoning(s).
help can you tell what is going on here?
- Thread starter Cindy
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Well it up loaded the wrong pictures don't even know how that happened. but the calves legs are deformed contracted tendons and in great pain. its whole body is lax and has no muscle tone.
I wish I could load the pictures.
I wish I could load the pictures.
Nesikep
Well-known member
Edit the post if you can and remove the links
My first guess would be a genetic defect, though a toxin could be too
My first guess would be a genetic defect, though a toxin could be too
wbvs58
Well-known member
Contracted tendons are not that uncommon but they usually come right without any intervention. If they are not surviving then possibly some other issue. How many cows/calves is this happening with each year?
Ken
Ken
Are the all the bull calves sired by the same bull? If so, it's probably genetic.
Yes same cow same bull. They have an excessive amount of twinning as well. They had it last year we all assumed it was from the pine trees but they with held them from the same area. They are frustrated with this problem
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Katpau
Well-known member
My guess is this is a genetic defect. It might only affect the males, but with a sample size of two, that might not have anything to do with it.
I would contact Dr Beever at the University of Tennessee. He has been involved in the identification of several defects in the past. You could start by sending these photos and the information on the parents to his email. He may recognize the defect and if not, he may be interested in looking into it.
Jon Beever
UTIA Center for the Advancement of Agriculture
352 Brehm Animal Sciences Bldg
2506 River Dr
Knoxville, TN 37996
(865) 974-3471
[email protected]
I would contact Dr Beever at the University of Tennessee. He has been involved in the identification of several defects in the past. You could start by sending these photos and the information on the parents to his email. He may recognize the defect and if not, he may be interested in looking into it.
Jon Beever
UTIA Center for the Advancement of Agriculture
352 Brehm Animal Sciences Bldg
2506 River Dr
Knoxville, TN 37996
(865) 974-3471
[email protected]
wbvs58
Well-known member
They do look debilitated.
Ken
Ken
Lucky_P
Well-known member
More/better photos might help shed more light...may be Tibial Hemimelia, but can't make out a lot from the pix provided.
Dr Beever helped us characterize and develop a test for an Angus genetic defect that arose in our herd. Follow Katpau's advice and contact him.
Dr Beever helped us characterize and develop a test for an Angus genetic defect that arose in our herd. Follow Katpau's advice and contact him.
THANK YOU all for your answers! Truly if they were my animals I would do this. but the owners are not interested in knowing what is going on. So they will just wait it out!! Sad. but we tried. again thank you for your responses. I am always willing to learn! My only investment is I have a heifer of these bloodlines and hope to not have problems. we will see as she is dry lot and I feed high quality hay at her. Also calf grower pellets at 5 lbs a day. She is doing well and will be bred to a different bull. I am hoping it turns out to be weeds or pine tree problems. Thanks!
Katpau
Well-known member
What breed of cattle are they?
I really doubt those defects are from weeds or Pine trees. We have pine trees on much of our ranch, so I have had some experience with Pine tree abortion before restricting cattle from those locations in late pregnancy. I have never heard of defects like those pictured from Pine trees. Abortions and weak calves that don't survive are the usual consequence when certain animals consume the needles.
If this is an inherited recessive defect your cow has a 50% chance of being a carrier if that bull is her sire. Since the cow that had the defective calf would also be a carrier, it would appear there are at least two carriers in that small herd, so your cow could be a carrier even if sired by a different bull. Breeding your cow to another unrelated bull would eliminate your chance of seeing the defect in her offspring, as long as the bull you choose is not also a carrier. If she is bred to another carrier, she has a 25% chance of producing an affected calf. The real problem is that half of her offspring are also carriers. If you keep her daughters you will continue to increase the number of carriers in the population. As the number of carriers increase in a population, the likelihood that carriers are mated to each other increases. You may have the opportunity to identify and stop a problem now. If the defect could be identified and a test developed to identify the carriers, you would be able to easily determine whether your cow or others, are carriers.
Send the pictures and information to Doctor Beever. Even though they are not your cows, the fact that you have a breeding animal from this small herd gives you the right to some piece of mind. He may be too busy to respond or he may not feel it needs a response, but at least you will have tried. It is possible there are others out there seeing similar calves. If that is the case, this could be the chance to identify the genes responsible so others don't need to suffer the same consequences.
I really doubt those defects are from weeds or Pine trees. We have pine trees on much of our ranch, so I have had some experience with Pine tree abortion before restricting cattle from those locations in late pregnancy. I have never heard of defects like those pictured from Pine trees. Abortions and weak calves that don't survive are the usual consequence when certain animals consume the needles.
If this is an inherited recessive defect your cow has a 50% chance of being a carrier if that bull is her sire. Since the cow that had the defective calf would also be a carrier, it would appear there are at least two carriers in that small herd, so your cow could be a carrier even if sired by a different bull. Breeding your cow to another unrelated bull would eliminate your chance of seeing the defect in her offspring, as long as the bull you choose is not also a carrier. If she is bred to another carrier, she has a 25% chance of producing an affected calf. The real problem is that half of her offspring are also carriers. If you keep her daughters you will continue to increase the number of carriers in the population. As the number of carriers increase in a population, the likelihood that carriers are mated to each other increases. You may have the opportunity to identify and stop a problem now. If the defect could be identified and a test developed to identify the carriers, you would be able to easily determine whether your cow or others, are carriers.
Send the pictures and information to Doctor Beever. Even though they are not your cows, the fact that you have a breeding animal from this small herd gives you the right to some piece of mind. He may be too busy to respond or he may not feel it needs a response, but at least you will have tried. It is possible there are others out there seeing similar calves. If that is the case, this could be the chance to identify the genes responsible so others don't need to suffer the same consequences.
darcelina4
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What breed are the cattle. There are genetic conditions related to certain breeds. You can pull hair and send into a lab and test your heifer to see if she has the likely genes. Each breed association has on their website which diseases are in their breeds. They can tell you where to get testing done.
