Teats in a row?

[lakeportfarms]

We recently sold a year old Dexter/Lowline Angus cross heifer. Now the new owner says that her teats are "deformed" in that they go across in a row from one side to the other. Quite frankly, we never crawled under her or rolled her over to look at the teat formation while we had her, and the purchaser hasn't sent a photo, she's just had a couple of "experts" that tell her the heifer should be culled so as not to pass the genetic trait to the offspring. She wants to return the heifer. I believe she has just changed her mind and either doesn't want a heifer or has found another one that she wants instead.

Her sire is a ADCA national champion producing registered Dexter (sire of a heifer, cow, and cow/calf pair winners), and the mom is a registered lowline. Neither have shown any tendency to pass this trait on to the calves. The same cow just had another heifer a couple of days ago out of the same sire, but I haven't had a chance to quarantine her yet to inspect the new calf's teats. Her mama would charge me if I tried to do it in the pasture right now, she's very protective of the young ones.

Anybody out there heard of such a teat deformation? If you have had experience with it, do they spread and move out to more normal positions as they mature and/or start to bag up?

Thanks!

 

[regolith]

Nope. And I do check them all.

I suppose anything is possible. I did once see a heifer with only two detectable teats - we decided she was a freemartin and culled her.
Extra teats behind or in front of one or more of the normal ones are common, but the row in that case is front to back and the four real teats still more or less in their normal positions.

Why not go see her for yourself is you're close enough. I suppose they'd have to get her in and roll her over for you...

 

[lakeportfarms]

We asked her to take some photos so we could see for ourselves. So far, we haven't had any sent to us. She presumably had some guy look at her and he said her teats were so atrocious she should be butchered. I just didn't see it. We told her we'll take her back and refund her money if she wants that. Not worth fighting over. She's a very nice heifer and I have no problem getter her back except that we really prefer to concentrate on two breeds, and the Lowline or the crosses don't fit into the plan. They're all the way down in Northern Ohio, and so the 6 hour or so round trip may give them pause to bring her back. I've seen extra teats, we have a really nice Hereford with two extra at the back that are not functional, but it doesn't affect her ability to raise a beautiful calf at all. We usually do a quick look at the udder, but not a close inspection. We'll see what develops and if she is inclined to follow through, and if she is I'll be sure to check her out and send photos for some opinions.

 

[TexasBred]

We recently sold a year old Dexter/Lowline Angus cross heifer. Now the new owner says that her teats are "deformed" in that they go across in a row from one side to the other. Quite frankly, we never crawled under her or rolled her over to look at the teat formation while we had her, and the purchaser hasn't sent a photo, she's just had a couple of "experts" that tell her the heifer should be culled so as not to pass the genetic trait to the offspring. She wants to return the heifer. I believe she has just changed her mind and either doesn't want a heifer or has found another one that she wants instead.

Her sire is a ADCA national champion producing registered Dexter (sire of a heifer, cow, and cow/calf pair winners), and the mom is a registered lowline. Neither have shown any tendency to pass this trait on to the calves. The same cow just had another heifer a couple of days ago out of the same sire, but I haven't had a chance to quarantine her yet to inspect the new calf's teats. Her mama would charge me if I tried to do it in the pasture right now, she's very protective of the young ones.

Anybody out there heard of such a teat deformation? If you have had experience with it, do they spread and move out to more normal positions as they mature and/or start to bag up?

Thanks!

Did these folks buy the cow "sight unseen"?? Or are they just now noticing the teats??

 

[lakeportfarms]

Did these folks buy the cow "sight unseen"?? Or are they just now noticing the teats??

They came out to see her first but they're not really very experienced. She's halter broke and very docile and friendly, and they wanted out of goats. I don't think they know what they are doing, and there are a whole bunch of "experts" that they are getting their advice from. We're going to take her back. If it's really that bad, we'll decide what to do with her then, if not, we won't have a problem finding another buyer.