I think it’s an inbreeding problem

[Chapin81]

So this is our 4th and 5th one this year. I have a feeling the two bulls we had before were somehow related to the heifers and cows we have. I'm so annoyed. I also had another calf born a day later looks fine and all except she's 56 lbs. my dad originally blamed it on the moon I said that's an old wives tale. What do you guys think??

 

[Nesikep]

definitely could be genetic.. Inbreeding doesn't cause problems, but it will definitely reveal them.. Might look up known genetic defects with your breed association, maybe someone else has a better idea what this would be called

 

[FungusProudKY31]

I doubt that inbreeding caused that. Slow growth, sterile or infertile, obvious defect - better chance of inbreeding being a cause. Dead calf like that - I doubt it.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Check for Bangs ASAP If there are cattle that have been separated from the problem area insure they stay separate and monitor.
Good Luck!

 

[Banjo]

Mineral deficiency of some kind or another like selenium possibly would be my guess.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Sorry but I should have added , Do Not, touch or handle any part of fetus or membrane and separate cow in question immediately and do not touch!
Remove all animals including pets from the area until you get a handle on this! Until I knew I would consider a trench and bury so you don't have to
transport. Monitor all personnel involved and stay posted until you have a know the exact problem. Again Good Luck

 

[GoWyo]

With the deformed head, maybe BVD?

 

[Chapin81]

Sorry but I should have added , Do Not, touch or handle any part of fetus or membrane and separate cow in question immediately and do not touch!
Remove all animals including pets from the area until you get a handle on this! Until I knew I would consider a trench and bury so you don't have to
transport. Monitor all personnel involved and stay posted until you have a know the exact problem. Again Good Luck

Thank you!

 

[Chapin81]

definitely could be genetic.. Inbreeding doesn't cause problems, but it will definitely reveal them.. Might look up known genetic defects with your breed association, maybe someone else has a better idea what this would be called

The bulls used at the time were not registered. They came from my dads brother in laws property as per my manager. I really think my cows could be the bulls aunts?? I also think they call this parrot jaw. It's definitely congenital I think...

 

[Chapin81]

I doubt that inbreeding caused that. Slow growth, sterile or infertile, obvious defect - better chance of inbreeding being a cause. Dead calf like that - I doubt it.

I have one that survive and his jaws crooked as well as his nose. He's still eating. I had another that died 3 days later and had a hard time moving around.

 

[Chapin81]

Mineral deficiency of some kind or another like selenium possibly would be my guess.

Thanks for the input the cows, this herd recently started consuming mineral salts about 3 months ago.

 

[Chapin81]

With the deformed head, maybe BVD?

Does BVD cause deformations?? I've read abortions is a definite.

 

[Silver]

Calf in pictures seem pretty far along for brucellosis.

 

[Chapin81]

Check for Bangs ASAP If there are cattle that have been separated from the problem area insure they stay separate and monitor.
Good Luck!

I don't think it's brucellosis, they were vaccinated in February and we don't introduce outsiders, except for the sires but they are vaccinated before coming into the property. The only ones not vaccinated against brucellosis are the calf's.

 

[Banjo]

Thanks for the input the cows, this herd recently started consuming mineral salts about 3 months ago.

What is mineral salts exactly? I had let mine run out of mineral recently for about 2 to 3 weeks.....the other day i found a calf about 300 to 400 lbs....he looked fine but couldn't get up....when he tried to get up he couldn't stand without falling over......I gave him a shot of multi min and a calcium tube on the advice of a friend who said it sounded like a calcium, selenium deficiency..... two hours later he stood up, the next day he was walking around with a limp, the next day he was walking fine. We had just had a really cold spell and maybe everything converged at once.... I don't know. Hope you get it figured out.

 

[Nick Wagner]

That twisted nose reminds me of one I had a few years ago. Some plants if consumed at just the right stage of gestation can cause cleft palate or similar deformities.

 

[kenny thomas]

I don't think it's brucellosis, they were vaccinated in February and we don't introduce outsiders, except for the sires but they are vaccinated before coming into the property. The only ones not vaccinated against brucellosis are the calf's.

Brucellosis is vaccinated against when they are calves not cows I'm pretty sure. There is an age in months 4-12 months i think. But some of the vets can chime in on this

 

[gcreekrch]

Are they vaccinated for anything else? New animal introduced into herd in the last month?

 

[Chapin81]

Are they vaccinated for anything else? New animal introduced into herd in the last month?

They are vaccinated for everything, they are getting vaccinated soon.. 2X a year is what we do down there. The only thing we are changing this year is we aren't using invermectin.

 

[Chapin81]

Brucellosis is vaccinated against when they are calves not cows I'm pretty sure. There is an age in months 4-12 months i think. But some of the vets can chime in on this

Btw forget to
Mention that We vaccinate January and June/July so any calf's born after that month they will be vaccinated on the next round.