Shorthorn Cattle

[Anonymous]

I have had a real problem with my baby calves having bad eyes. I haven't changed any of the things that I have done in the past but I am really struggling this year. I bet I have had six or seven small calves that have had bad eyes. Any suggestions would help! Also, what would be a good cross for shorthorns?

 

[A. delaGarza]

I have had a real problem with my baby calves having bad eyes. I haven't changed any of the things that I have done in the past but I am really struggling this year. I bet I have had six or seven small calves that have had bad eyes. Any suggestions would help! Also, what would be a good cross for shorthorns?

depends, if your are up north Angus or Hereford should work, I will suggest a Continental breed like Simmental or Gelvieh, with Gelvieh you will have a 100% red calves for sure. If you are in the South maybe Brahamn influence cattle or staight Brahman should work better.

 

[dun]

What form have these "bad eyes" been in? Pinkeye, milkeye, crosseyed, no eyes, what?

dun

I have had a real problem with my baby calves having bad eyes. I haven't changed any of the things that I have done in the past but I am really struggling this year. I bet I have had six or seven small calves that have had bad eyes. Any suggestions would help! Also, what would be a good cross for shorthorns?

 

[Campground Cattle]

What form have these "bad eyes" been in? Pinkeye, milkeye, crosseyed, no eyes, what?

dun

I have had a real problem with my baby calves having bad eyes. I haven't changed any of the things that I have done in the past but I am really struggling this year. I bet I have had six or seven small calves that have had bad eyes. Any suggestions would help! Also, what would be a good cross for shorthorns?

Yea I'm with Dun what are your eye problems. As far as crossing with Shorthorns I prefer the English cattle Angus, British White , Devon, or Hereford. Its hard to go wrong with a good Angus or Hereford .

 

[Rod]

I've had to have two eyes removed so far this year and they were both black hereford cross cows.

 

[Campground Cattle]

I've had to have two eyes removed so far this year and they were both black hereford cross cows.

Black herefords or F-1 herefordxangus cross. The reason I ask Black herefords are a new breed. Sounds like you have a recessive gene in the pool. English breeds has some unusual recessive traits. As bad as I hate to say it it's probaly the herefordxshorthorn cross. The English did a lot of inbreeding trying to standardize the breeds in the 1800's

 

[Anonymous]

I am not for sure what you are asking! They just started to get cloudy and continued to get worse. I treated them with everything that I knew of and was told to (penicilan, LA, Nuflor, etc), and nothing worked. The vet said there was alot of damage done to the eyes and I can's afford to have that many calves to sell with bad eyes!

J+

What form have these "bad eyes" been in? Pinkeye, milkeye, crosseyed, no eyes, what?

dun

I have had a real problem with my baby calves having bad eyes. I haven't changed any of the things that I have done in the past but I am really struggling this year. I bet I have had six or seven small calves that have had bad eyes. Any suggestions would help! Also, what would be a good cross for shorthorns?

 

[A. delaGarza]

most be Pinkeye,

I am not for sure what you are asking! They just started to get cloudy and continued to get worse. I treated them with everything that I knew of and was told to (penicilan, LA, Nuflor, etc), and nothing worked. The vet said there was alot of damage done to the eyes and I can's afford to have that many calves to sell with bad eyes!

J+

What form have these "bad eyes" been in? Pinkeye, milkeye, crosseyed, no eyes, what?

dun

I have had a real problem with my baby calves having bad eyes. I haven't changed any of the things that I have done in the past but I am really struggling this year. I bet I have had six or seven small calves that have had bad eyes. Any suggestions would help! Also, what would be a good cross for shorthorns?

 

[dun]

If there is a small white spot that is off center and the eye is cloudy it's most likely IBR. If so, a simple injection in the conjunctive tissue will clear it up within a day or two. If the white spot is centered it's generic pinkeye. If the eye is milky without a white spot I would look towards some environmental irritant, or a maybe (I'm just guessing on this one), a mineral/nutritional deficiency.
Even though we have always vaccinated for IBR/BVD, one year we had weanling heifers that had IBR, just a wierd strain that isn't/wasn't covered by the vaccine.

dun

 

[J+]

Thanks to everyone for their input!

J+

 

[Randyman]

I am not for sure what you are asking! They just started to get cloudy and continued to get worse. I treated them with everything that I knew of and was told to (penicilan, LA, Nuflor, etc), and nothing worked. The vet said there was alot of damage done to the eyes and I can's afford to have that many calves to sell with bad eyes!

J+



I had this same problem for the first time ever this year. Seemed like pinkeye that just wouldn't go away. Turns out It was a bacterial strain of pinkeye that the calves picked up from eating brome hay out of a feeder. Took it away and a month later no problems. Turns out the hay was out up during pollination causing the problem. So now we are going to put up all are own hay.