So tiny! Why?

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Oh My Gawd there's something in the air! I just had a tiny heifer born last week. Mom decided to calve in the 10ft wide strip of pasture where water sits after irrigating. Glad I happen to be out there. I scooped her up and carried the tiny thing across pasture to drier ground. Couldn't have been but 40 pounds. All proportional just a mini version. She's healthy and growing and cute as can be.
Hope both our calves grow up to be regular size.
 
I'm really not familiar with dwarfism in cattle so I started Googling. Just based on what I read and the images, I'd say no. He's pretty long: legs, body & face. Essentially the same build as his sire - but itty bitty.
Keep us updated on how he grows TC, might end up as your heaviest at weaning. I had an 18kg heifer that ended up being my heaviest heifer weaned and I think was my 2nd heaviest overall.

Ken
 
Oh My Gawd there's something in the air! I just had a tiny heifer born last week. Mom decided to calve in the 10ft wide strip of pasture where water sits after irrigating. Glad I happen to be out there. I scooped her up and carried the tiny thing across pasture to drier ground. Couldn't have been but 40 pounds. All proportional just a mini version. She's healthy and growing and cute as can be.
Hope both our calves grow up to be regular size.
Is the dam healthy or any concerns with her? Glad yours is doing well!
 
There was a spate of reports of Angus itty bitty calves several years ago on a number of discussion boards. Couldn't find anything relevant on the AAA defect page.
 
25.5 lbs at birth, full term. Bought heifer, know where the bulls were sourced from. Thinking calving ease may be too over focused there.
View attachment 4133
Looks like mama was being a real twat about it too! Rope a leg and hope theres milk? She looks like there ain't much there to drink.

We cut a 28 lb'r outta a cow that was on deaths door. Calf looked full term. But was taken at least 3 weeks early.
 
In 2018 I had a 2nd calf crossbred drop a calf in the corral. The cow was out side the corral and showing no interest.
They were due to start calving Apr 1 and it was the 15th of March. I did not go in to look at it but from what I could see
it was not viable. Can't remember what was going on at the time but I had to be somewhere later that morning..
That afternoon I went back to take the calf out and it was laying in the same spot. I picked it and put it in the feed bunk
so I could get the pickup a little closer. It was dead as a doornail, eyes glazed open teeth clenched but for some unknown
reason I touched his eyeball and he blinked! I went into mouth on nose mode and started blowing air in the nostril.
There was really not much change and although the mouth and tongue were cold there was some warmth under the
front leg.
I put the calf in cab and headed for a cousins place about a half mile away. He had calf warmers and electrolyte in use
as they calf Feb, Mar. Calf, I estimate somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds , looked fully developed. After about
30 minutes I said I better get him out if he isn't showing some improvement. About that time there was a little bleat
from the calf warmer. To make the story shorter we left him in there for another 3 days taking him out to feed him
and holding him up while he ate. I brought him on home and put him under a heat lamp. He could stand by this time
and instead of just giving him the bottle I made him follow me around the pen before he could eat. Eventually this got
to be a headlong race of three times around. When he did start eating solid food I feed him on the bottom of a
mineral tub as that was how tall he was. I trained him to come when I waved my arm down by my side which came in
handy when I brought the other calves home that fall. I sold him the following April and he weighed 690 lbs
Selling that calf was not a pleasant experience. His name was Apple Jack.

There is more, as if the above is not enough. On the 20th of April the same cow had another , this time a larger
but still small healthy calf. I dismissed it as belonging to another cow nearly to my peril as she went after me in
the kill mode. That gave me a 100% calf crop with Apple Jack out. I had never heard of such a thing and after
some research and talking to my vet and the internet (did not know about CT then) I found out it does happen
rarely. Apparently she did not have twins but cycled in consecutive months and was impregnated both times.
Very rarely will both fetuses be viable enough to be brought to term.
It was quite an experience to say the least.
 
In 2018 I had a 2nd calf crossbred drop a calf in the corral. The cow was out side the corral and showing no interest.
They were due to start calving Apr 1 and it was the 15th of March. I did not go in to look at it but from what I could see
it was not viable. Can't remember what was going on at the time but I had to be somewhere later that morning..
That afternoon I went back to take the calf out and it was laying in the same spot. I picked it and put it in the feed bunk
so I could get the pickup a little closer. It was dead as a doornail, eyes glazed open teeth clenched but for some unknown
reason I touched his eyeball and he blinked! I went into mouth on nose mode and started blowing air in the nostril.
There was really not much change and although the mouth and tongue were cold there was some warmth under the
front leg.
I put the calf in cab and headed for a cousins place about a half mile away. He had calf warmers and electrolyte in use
as they calf Feb, Mar. Calf, I estimate somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds , looked fully developed. After about
30 minutes I said I better get him out if he isn't showing some improvement. About that time there was a little bleat
from the calf warmer. To make the story shorter we left him in there for another 3 days taking him out to feed him
and holding him up while he ate. I brought him on home and put him under a heat lamp. He could stand by this time
and instead of just giving him the bottle I made him follow me around the pen before he could eat. Eventually this got
to be a headlong race of three times around. When he did start eating solid food I feed him on the bottom of a
mineral tub as that was how tall he was. I trained him to come when I waved my arm down by my side which came in
handy when I brought the other calves home that fall. I sold him the following April and he weighed 690 lbs
Selling that calf was not a pleasant experience. His name was Apple Jack.

There is more, as if the above is not enough. On the 20th of April the same cow had another , this time a larger
but still small healthy calf. I dismissed it as belonging to another cow nearly to my peril as she went after me in
the kill mode. That gave me a 100% calf crop with Apple Jack out. I had never heard of such a thing and after
some research and talking to my vet and the internet (did not know about CT then) I found out it does happen
rarely. Apparently she did not have twins but cycled in consecutive months and was impregnated both times.
Very rarely will both fetuses be viable enough to be brought to term.
It was quite an experience to say the least.
Amazing story, thanks for sharing! I actually got goosebumps.
 
25.5 lbs at birth, full term. Bought heifer, know where the bulls were sourced from. Thinking calving ease may be too over focused there.
View attachment 4133
And I thought my little guy was tiny! So, how did the calf do - or is this current?

Thing about calving ease, in this case, the sire isn't a calving ease bull. Only other tiny tots I've had were preemies and both mamas had hardware.
 
I've been vacillating back 'n forth about whether to take her to the vet. Made the decision today - no. I've already wormed her. She already has a magnet, so if it's hardware it's from something other than metal and there's nothing you can do. On the slim chance she has lymphoma, there's nothing you can do. If she has anaplasmosis, the only treatment is LA200/300 or Baytril 100-C and hope for the best. She's fully vaccinated with minerals & 30% protein tubs always available. So I loaded her up on LA300 today and took her temp. It was 102.4 but also a freakishly warm 84 degrees for this time of year and she wasn't happy about going in the chute. Opened the gate, they're free to join the herd.

Before she dropped this little surprise, I was just going to have her preg checked & sell. Mainly because she still looked in good condition and asymptomatic (assuming there is something very wrong). But ethically, I can't do that now. In just a week, it's clear she's not in good condition. But I want the calf to have as much of her milk as possible (her bag is perfect), hope the LA works some sort of magic, and deal with a potential orphan. Who, BTW is a little pistol! Running, bucking, head butting his mama - just like he should.
 
Looks like mama was being a real twat about it too! Rope a leg and hope theres milk? She looks like there ain't much there to drink.

We cut a 28 lb'r outta a cow that was on deaths door. Calf looked full term. But was taken at least 3 weeks early.
She is actually quite gentle for our cattle, I just don't like chasing them back and forth while trying to feed a calf or risk having a foot in my shirt pocket.She has actually come into more milk that the calf needs at present. Am putting it up to suck four times per day to make sure it is getting enough.
 
And I thought my little guy was tiny! So, how did the calf do - or is this current?

Thing about calving ease, in this case, the sire isn't a calving ease bull. Only other tiny tots I've had were preemies and both mamas had hardware.
This is current, she is four days old now. This calf's teeth are full term. The source for bulls that were used on those heifers touts calving ease. We have had several 45 to 55 lb frail calves out of this load of heifers.
 
Is the dam healthy or any concerns with her? Glad yours is doing well!
The dam is 11 yrs old. She's been a really good cow but hasn't been in good health for a few months. We're very happy (and surprised) the little one is healthy as can be. Momma is milking good and Minnie is growing fast.
 
One of my cows that I thought was open surprised me with a tiny, tiny bull calf last Friday (the 23rd). I seriously couldn't tell she was bred & was going to have her preg checked when we work them in May (just to be sure) before I shipped her. Calf was 38 lbs. and I initially had her due today (28th), so not a preemie. Plus, she was bred by our bull that's not a calving ease bull & his calves average around 85 lbs.

The cow is a little thinner than normal but still in good condition, only 5 years old and hasn't shown any signs of sickness. Temp is normal, great appetite, no coughing/drooling/snotty nose. Anaplas was my first thought, but her eyes, gums & vulva are nice and pink. She has had pretty loose stool, but she was also grazing new spring grass. She shouldn't be wormy, but I did go ahead & worm her with Cydectin. I've been keeping them at the barn, mainly to keep an eye on him, but he's active and has gained a good 5 lbs.

Any ideas what's going on with her? View attachment 4102View attachment 4103
I don't see anything on his mouth. I just see that the lower lip is forward of the upper lip and the muzzle appears short. It is the premaxillary bone with the dental pad on the anterior that is underdeveloped to cause this issue. It is often caused by a deficiency of manganese and calcium any time during development prior to birth. Since the calf is also small, those mineral deficiencies are strongly suggested.
 
One of my cows that I thought was open surprised me with a tiny, tiny bull calf last Friday (the 23rd). I seriously couldn't tell she was bred & was going to have her preg checked when we work them in May (just to be sure) before I shipped her. Calf was 38 lbs. and I initially had her due today (28th), so not a preemie. Plus, she was bred by our bull that's not a calving ease bull & his calves average around 85 lbs.

The cow is a little thinner than normal but still in good condition, only 5 years old and hasn't shown any signs of sickness. Temp is normal, great appetite, no coughing/drooling/snotty nose. Anaplas was my first thought, but her eyes, gums & vulva are nice and pink. She has had pretty loose stool, but she was also grazing new spring grass. She shouldn't be wormy, but I did go ahead & worm her with Cydectin. I've been keeping them at the barn, mainly to keep an eye on him, but he's active and has gained a good 5 lbs.

Any ideas what's going on with her? View attachment 4102View attachment 4103
 

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