Lucky? Genetic disorder causing enlarged abdomen?

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Not a good way to start the season, but one of my girls aborted an embryo calf last night, 250 days gestation. I should have gone back out and checked her last night, because I noted she was laying and acting like she was pushing, or uncomfortable, stretching her legs out, around 8PM. No real bag made yet. But I went out this morning and she was protecting her dead bull calf. He was 51 pounds, and the first thing I noted was his larger-than-normal distended belly. :cry2:

So, my question is, is there a genetic condition that causes the calf to have a distended belly? If you look at the picture, his belly looks unusually big. Now, with his genetics (Sandeen Upper Class - sire), they tend to be big bellied cattle.... maybe I am grasping at straws here, and nothing will change the outcome (a dead calf)... Just trying to learn from an unfortunate event. I still have two more of those embryos in the tank...
I have had three abortions in the time we have been breeding cattle, two of which were embryo bull calves. The last one that was aborted, about 2 years ago, we had cultured and nothing specific came back. I know it happens, but I hate it! I hate it for the cow, I hate it for us. All three abortions were in August/September time frame.
Anyway, off to church this morning, try to lift my spirits...

 

[Margonme]

Not a good way to start the season, but one of my girls aborted an embryo calf last night, 250 days gestation. I should have gone back out and checked her last night, because I noted she was laying and acting like she was pushing, or uncomfortable, stretching her legs out, around 8PM. No real bag made yet. But I went out this morning and she was protecting her dead bull calf. He was 51 pounds, and the first thing I noted was his larger-than-normal distended belly. :cry2:

So, my question is, is there a genetic condition that causes the calf to have a distended belly? If you look at the picture, his belly looks unusually big. Now, with his genetics (Sandeen Upper Class - sire), they tend to be big bellied cattle.... maybe I am grasping at straws here, and nothing will change the outcome (a dead calf)... Just trying to learn from an unfortunate event. I still have two more of those embryos in the tank...
I have had three abortions in the time we have been breeding cattle, two of which were embryo bull calves. The last one that was aborted, about 2 years ago, we had cultured and nothing specific came back. I know it happens, but I hate it! I hate it for the cow, I hate it for us. All three abortions were in August/September time frame.
Anyway, off to church this morning, try to lift my spirits...

Very sorry. That distresses me! Your next calf will be a special one and you will be back on track.

 

[gizmom]

FS

So sorry, it sure is a tuff way to start. Hopefully the rest of your calving season will be nothing but healthy calves. I have never heard of a genetic defect that would have a large abdomen but lucky or Milkmaid might know of something. I have seen a ET calf born with no rectum he was alive but didn't live but a few hours.

Gizmom

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Thanks...
I was really looking forward to this calf. The dam is a cow Jeanne White raised; Simme Valley Zsa Zsa, that Conley Angus bought from her. I bought the eggs because I love the cow family (Grandmaster x Lucky Dice).
And the second thoughts, "if I had gone back to check on the cow, could I have saved the calf? Was it too early? ....." This is the part of animal husbandry I do not like.

 

[frieghttrain]

That really bites. We ai'd four heifers only one stuck, Shi! happens not that our fault. Connealy Angus bought a Simmental?

 

[Nesikep]

I think 250 days is something a calf in good form could survive, but if this guy had problems even full term would have been a problem for him.
Yup, losing one always sucks
Here's the heifer calf I lost this year with the cesarian.. 110 lbs from a <1000 lb heifer didnt work out so well, and I did make all the right calls

 

[Workinonit Farm]

FireSweep, Sorry that happened. As for second thoughts, we have all been there! Going back to check her again, may not have made a difference.

Don't beat yourself up.

May the rest of your calvings be uneventful!

 

[Supa Dexta]

110 lbs from a <1000 lb heifer didnt work out so well, and I did make all the right calls

Must have been a wrong number then, to have that large of calf in that small a heifer.

 

[Margonme]

110 lbs from a <1000 lb heifer didnt work out so well, and I did make all the right calls

Must have been a wrong number then, to have that large of calf in that small a heifer.

SD,
I took that differently. I thought he meant he took all the right actions in the delivery of the calf. I did not take that as a reflection of breeding her to the wrong bull, breeding her too early, not making the proper mating, etc.

I have lost one calf during the 6 years I have been doing this. My numbers are low but still not a bad record. In that one case, I bought a very nice open Milestone Heifer. I bred her AI to In Force, who has a CE of 22 if I recall. Despite that mating, she had a 119 pound calf that during delivery, lacerated a uterine artery. Crap like that happens.

I hope Nesikep can confirm what he means. I certainly see your point but I took it differently. Demonstrates the problem of communication on a forum where you cannot immediately ask for clarification.

 

[TCRanch]

Fire Sweep, I am really sorry about the calf. We've been able to save a couple 40 lb preemies (who are now on their 4th & 1st calves) but you can't fight Mother Nature - there was just something wrong with that calf to begin with and you fortunately still have the cow.

SD, I agree with Margonme and if I recall correctly in a previous post, the large calf was definitely a surprise for Nesi. Been there. Had to pull an enormous bull calf from a heifer this year; calf was dead & heifer was down/pinched nerve for a month. The bull had not thrown anything larger than 75 lbs & both our vets (2 in the same practice) said "It can happen".

Right, wrong, follow the rules - all are subjective and subject to change for no apparent reason.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Sometimes things just don't work out. Sorry to hear of your bad luck FSR.

 

[Nesikep]

110 lbs from a <1000 lb heifer didnt work out so well, and I did make all the right calls

Must have been a wrong number then, to have that large of calf in that small a heifer.

SD,
I took that differently. I thought he meant he took all the right actions in the delivery of the calf. I did not take that as a reflection of breeding her to the wrong bull, breeding her too early, not making the proper mating, etc.

I have lost one calf during the 6 years I have been doing this. My numbers are low but still not a bad record. In that one case, I bought a very nice open Milestone Heifer. I bred her AI to In Force, who has a CE of 22 if I recall. Despite that mating, she had a 119 pound calf that during delivery, lacerated a uterine artery. Crap like that happens.

I hope Nesikep can confirm what he means. I certainly see your point but I took it differently. Demonstrates the problem of communication on a forum where you cannot immediately ask for clarification.

As for the breeding of the heifer, she was bred to her mothers full brother and her own 3/4 brother (the home-raised bull) that had the best birthweight of any bull calf born here (~80 lbs), who was born in a couple minutes and wasn't a blockhead.. It was a better choice than breeding her to the limo that I had 3 close calls on 4 heifers the year before (2 of those needed the calf puller). The other 6 calves of his were born without assistance and had good BW's.. chalk it up to a freak thing, there certainly wasn't any heterosis in that mating!

As for making the right calls, I saw her calving, after a short while of no progress I went for a feel, got the chains and puller, pulled a little, said screw this, there's no way it's coming out without killing both of them, and called the vet and stopped fiddling with her.. it took him 4 hours to get here, and in that time the calf died

 

[Supa Dexta]

Happens to us all.

Also is that your photo in your avatar, or just a random pic? I seen it used elsewhere, so someone may have taken it off you.

 

[Ky hills]

I am sorry about your loss. I don't know if it is something similar or not, but last year, I had a cow that went way over in gestation length, I had though she was going to twin several months before she was ready. She got tremendous, and when she finally calved we had to do a c section to get the freakishly large calf out. It was of course dead, and filled with fluid it resembled the calf that you have in the picture only much larger. The placenta was freakishly large as well. The vet called it Hydrops said it was rare. The cow was dead by the next day.

 

[greybeard]

Hydrops....I think there are different kinds--none are good.