Question on Noses??

[Mcp220]

Just a question regarding nose colors - Is it true that cows with pink noses are more prone to sickness and diseases than ones black noses? Like with Holsteins or Holstein crosses?

 

[SBMF 2015]

I've never heard that before. Could be? Cattle with pink noses tend to also have less pigment around their eyes. Cattle with no pigment are predisposed to pinkeye and cancer eye. Pink nosed cattle typically have pink udders. So more sunburn.

 

[TCRanch]

What @SBMF 2015 said. My red headed step child (compliments of the neighbors bull) has a completely pink nose & tongue (Hubby named her Pink Tongue - and that's the last time I let him name one). She's 10 and I've never treated/doctored her for anything.

 

[4hfarms]

The only one I had to worm last year was my black cow, just a spot of pink on her tounge and two white socks.

 

[Ky hills]

For most of my cow/calf years I've had pink nosed cattle, first with Charolais and now with a herd in which half are straight Herefords and the others are black and BWF. Most of the folks I know have predominantly black cows and from what I can gather ours are no more or less susceptible than anybody else's.

 

[Mcp220]

Thank you all for the insight! Appreciate ya!!

 

[farmerjan]

The pink noses are often discriminated against at the stockyards. Especially in the charolais here and the herefords. What @SBMF 2015 says is true. We don't seem to see any more pinkeye trouble with the hereford/white face crosses than with the black cattle, but the sunburn on the udders does happen with the holstein crosses somewhat.

 

[BC]

The pink nose knock comes from being more straight bred Charolais or a high percentage Continental breeding. The feedyards and stocker operators love the crosses but not the purebreds. Reasons given are get sick more frequently, get too big, etc. May or may not be true, but it is in the buyers perception and that is hard to change.

 

[Ky hills]

@farmerjan that is how it is here too, the pure looking white Charolais, red Hereford all get docked big time here.
@BC I think you are right, it has more to do with the straight continental breeding and size in the Charolais. I have noticed that straight bred looking red Limousins can get docked too. The old stereotypes of Herefords still haunt them.