Debbie and her strange calf

[lakeportfarms]

First of all, Debbie did get up to get a drink of water, and so we're optimistic she'll be alright. It was a really tough delivery for her. We'll check on her from time to time, but she's spending most of her time lying down and resting now. Thanks for all the kind thoughts...It's been a tough week or two for a few of us here on the board, hopefully this is the end of it for a while!

It was a most unusual calf...at least the head. This is Debbie's pedigree :

www.dextercattle.org/pedigreedb/ponyweb.cgi?horse=028290&ParentID=028129&Page=1&Sort=6

As you can see she's a chondro carrier and PHA non carrier. She was bred by her sire, Hercules, a polled black bull, just prior to us taking her to our farm. Sheril and I considered giving her a lute shot and working out some other breeding arrangement, but we decided that whatever she had was going to go for beef, or sold if it was a heifer, so we decided to not intervene, which in hindsight was a mistake

And these are a couple of photos of the dead bull calf. Obviously a little graphic:

i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx31/lakeportfarms/IMG_20130210_170248_zpsb51aabc7.jpg

i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx31/lakeportfarms/IMG_20130210_165506_zpsf41abddf.jpg

Added: Another photo from the front. i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx31/lakeportfarms/IMG_20130210_165657_zpsd24ed4b1.jpg

So what's up with the disproportionate head? The bull calf does not appear to be a chondro carrier, the rest of the body is too slight. The hooves and legs are also extremely large and thick. When we went in to grab them we were shocked at how large they were. It was very difficult to get the head and legs out. What struck me as odd is the extremely deep lower jaw, nothing like I've ever seen. It almost seems overdeveloped. The bull calf is polled. Is this possibly something resulting from the bull's genetics and the line breeding to his daughter? This bull calf also has a stripe of white on the underside running from a couple of inches behind the front legs to just ahead of his testicles.

[rhonda]

I hope your Debbie will be all right..good sign she got up! If the sire wasn't tested for chondro couldn't it be a bulldog? I can't look at the pics..

[hollydzie]

This is just an uneducated guess. I worked for a small animal vet. In dogs that would have difficult and prolonged labor, the dead puppy would have a larger than normal head. I do not know if it was from the pressure of the birth canal or what, but we did see this in dogs. It could also come from her going past the due date and the calf continuing to grow. Just a few guesses

I think the birth process is really hard on the calf, our little heifer that was born 2 days ago has a broken blood vessel in her eye. The white is dark red. I am sure she is fine and she was born fairly quick. I just think that being born can be traumatic sometimes.

Wishing you better days ahead. Hoping little Ms Debbie is feeling better soon, poor thing.

Holly

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

If it's not too late, I'd collect a bunch of tail hairs from the calf, and the mom and the sire (if possible) and just hang onto them, in case this problem shows up again somewhere in the future and requires some genetic research.

Perhaps you could also preserve the skull? It would be interesting to see the skull stripped of flesh.

THANKS! for sharing in a public way.

[Olga]

Any chance that the cow was bred by a non-Dexter bull?
The only other thing that comes to mind is a rare genetic abnormality.

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

Here's some interesting reading that talks about possible chemical causes including something as simple a the mom getting a shot of antibiotics on a particular critical day of calf development or eating a bad plant ......

"Every year cattle producers encounter problems with calves that are born with congenital abnormalities. These abnormalities can be quite variable and may include calves born with deformed legs ("crooked calf disease"), crooked spines, cleft palates, absence of an anus, heart defects, hydrocephalus to name but a few of the more commonly encountered abnormalities. It is not uncommon to see a calf with multiple anomalies involving different organ systems. It has been estimated that from 0.5 -1.0 percent of calves are born with congenital defects (Leipold H., 1987 Vet Clinics North Am 3: 159-177).

Any agent (infectious, chemical, toxin, genetic, physical) that alters the normal development of the embryo or fetus is referred to as a teratogen. Pregnant cows are often exposed to numerous teratogens, but the fetus may not be affected unless the teratogen is present in the fetus at critical stages of development. In some instances the teratogenic agent acts very specifically in a narrow window of time of fetal organ development . A classical example of this is the development of a Cyclops condition in lambs and calves (Figure 1) as a result of the pregnant animal eating western false hellebore (Veratrum californicum) in the 13-14th days of pregnancy. Eaten before or after this narrow window of time, Cyclops malformation does not develop.

A common teratogen affecting cattle is the virus that causes bovine virus diarrhea (BVD). Depending on when the pregnant cow becomes infected with the BVD virus determines the degree of damage to the fetus; early in gestation infection may result in embryonic death, fetal death and mummification; later in gestation abortion and fetal malformations may develop. Some modified live BVD vaccines given to pregnant cattle will cause similar problems in the fetus. Blue tongue virus is also well known to cause fetal malformations in cattle and sheep. Another foreign animal disease that is teratogenic is Rift Valley fever virus.

There are many hundreds of chemical teratogens. Antibiotics such as tetracyclines may affect fetal development. Many pesticides are teratogenic to all animals. The sudden appearance of a congenitally deformed calf always warrants careful consideration of the chemicals the cow may have been exposed to during her pregnancy.

Cattle raised on rangelands are frequently exposed to plant teratogens. The most common plant-induced congenital abnormalities are attributable to lupines (Lupinus spp.), poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), locoweeds (Astragalus and Oxytropis spp.), and tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca). These plants eaten by pregnant cows between the 40th and 100th days of gestation will cause ‘crooked calf disease” (Figure 2). Affected calves are born with various deformities of the bones of the legs and quite often have cleft palates. The latter problem results in a calf that has milk running out its nose at it suckles. As mentioned earlier, western false hellebore or corn lily (Veratrum californicum) common at higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains is a well known teratogen causing cyclopia. Other plants that grow in the western States that have been associated with calf deformities include sorghums, members of the Prunus genus (eg: choke cherries), jimson weed (Datura stramonium) and groundsels (Senecio spp.). Loss of pregnancy as a result of embryonic death in many cases may be due to teratogens. There are many other plants that are associated with abortions possibly as a result of teratogenic compounds in the plants.

In vitro fertilization must also be considered when investigating the possible causes of fetal malformations. Higher rates of abortion and fetal skeletal deformities have been reported with in vitro fertilization. Similarly rectal palpation and rectal ultrasound examinations for pregnancy detection in the first 42 days of gestation has been associated with increased atresia ani (absence of the anus) (Constable, 1989; J Am Vet Med Assoc 195:118-123).

Lastly, genetic abnormalities can result in numerous fetal malformations. Internal hydrocephalus (abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain) is well known to be an autosomal recessive trait especially in some Charolais breed lines. The Simmental breed has a genetic defect that causes brachygnathism (‘parrot mouth’). Polydactylism (extra digits) is another such inherited trait in cattle. Introduction of new genetic lines to a herd should always be suspected when calf malformations are encountered.

Source: Dr. Tony Knight, Colorado State University Veterinary College"

www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-news/latest/Baby-calf-health-Deformed-calves-117594258.html

[emgiger]

Not sure what is going on here, but I think there may be some merit to what Holly mentioned above. Dystocia births can be very traumatic on the head portion of the calf (or lamb, goat kid, puppy, etc.).

[lakeportfarms]

No, it's not a bulldog and I doubt it was a chondro carrier either. The entire calf is frozen (we're in Michigan, in February, after all) And I was planning on taking some tail hairs and tissue samples tomorrow when I have a little more time and things aren't so crazy here. We have three stalls and 4 cows due to calve at any time. Plus our mini silky fainters and their kids in the barn. At least I found a great way to keep the goats and their kids without using a stall

www.buyusedcontainers.com/used-containers/bulk-containers/collapsible-bulk-containers/brand-new-orbis-hdr-70x48x34-collapsible

Anyway, my thought was that since this is a line bred calf it has an awful lot of the sires genetics. Debbie is a really nice looking girl, she's the daughter of Louise, who is a 1/2 sister of Mike(different sire but same mom). We also have another daughter of Flo's Gracie. All of them are excellent examples of Dexters, so my only thought was it is from the sire's genetics.

There are some good suggestions here... Olga, I'm pretty confident it was Hercules who is the sire. The owner was nowhere near any other farms/bulls, and this was his only bull. He steers the bull calves very quickly, and all he has are Dexters. Sheril and I thought he was a pretty big boy for his age, that was why we discussed giving both of them a shot of lute. Debbie's mom, Louise, gave birth to a very normal looking heifer a few days ago, also sired by the same bull. The heifer was horned, but this bull calf was polled like the sire is.

Holly, that's interesting about the puppies...I know human kids can get a "conehead" from birth, but that is because their heads are still pretty pliable, I didn't think calves had plates and soft bone. It's worth looking into. I'm still wondering about that lower jaw though. It also has a very flat and blunt nose, which I wouldn't think would happen with dystocia. I'm not sure I'd ever be able to figure out if it was something environmental or chemical like Kirk describes.

[wolflog]

I can tell you with 99% confidence, the calfs head was in the birth canal way to long. I will tell you if she was on her side rocking, it probably added to the head shape. I have seen it in puppies and foals.

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

Here's one possible genetic cause to consider:

Long Headed Dwarfism

Long head dwarfism causes small size but does not
affect the bone growth in nasal passages. Inherited
as a simple recessive trait.

Calf has a large, long head and a smaller body

It's recessive, so both parents would need to carry it. It's NOT completely lethal, but calves often die in birth due to a large, long head.

www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/08/may/dwarfism.shtml

[legendrockranch]

I have to admit long headed dwarfism or long nose dwarfism popped into my mind also.

However my feelings follow what others have said about being in the birth canal to long.

[cddexter]

hans, definitely not a bulldog, definitely not a dwarf.

It would be a really good idea to keep the whole calf or failing that, at least the head and lots of hair to allow for extra testing, and a ton of photos. Not just from the front which makes the head look even bigger, but from all angles.

If you could stand it, might be an idea to write up an article for the Bulletin with some pics, and ask if anyone else has had this experience. Frequently things like this get passed by as each person thinks he or she is unique.

There might be stats or info on this in other breeds. I agree Jon Beever would be a good place to send samples, but you'd have to check with him first. Since Horst Liepold died, Jon probably has the biggest selection of anomolies, and like Dexter pha, may be able to tie this calf in with something else he is working on elsewhere.

Or, check with a University vet college to see if they have any info. Colorado does a lot with autopsies. TAM used to, too. So did UCalDavis.

cheers, c.

[lakeportfarms]

Carol,

I will definitely save as much as possible, at very least the head, and take many more photos. I've been thinking about the dystocia angle and although it makes sense...it doesn't make sense either. The head is just too abnormally large in relation to the rest of the body and I don't see how that could be related to time spent in the birth canal. What was also surprising was how developed the head was including the teeth. Pictures don't really do an adequate job, but I assure you both Sheril and I were shocked. We thought we were dealing with a 80lb. plus calf when we managed to get the head out. We (and Debbie) were really lucky, as I think we got to her just in time. I had a terrible time getting the midsection out, I think by then her cervix had said ENOUGH...I'm shutting down!

The calf was alive, barely, when we managed to get the head and shoulders out, but we could see it die, and then I just pulled with all my ability to get the rest of him out. He could have been a bulldog but I fixed him with that. ;D

Being that this is a calf that was linebred by the sire of the dam, if it is some recessive gene both parents could have it.

Is the tail hair any good if I pull it when the calf was never licked off and up moving around, or does Debbie's DNA contaminate it? I would suspect they can work around that. And since Debbie is line bred, how much information would I get if tail hairs were pulled and sent in for comparison to the sire, since Debbie is also bred by him?

[lakeportfarms]

Kirk, that link is interesting. I wonder if that test for Angus could be applied to our "Dexter". But this bull calf exhibits no signs of being a "dwarf" in any other way.

[lakeportfarms]

Update on Debbie...she's up and moving around a lot more this morning, and eating. Good signs she'll be OK. Except that 15 minutes ago another cow calved. Debbie is mooing a lot, so I expect she is missing her calf, and thinks Claudia's calf is hers. So as Debbie feels better she's mourning her calf. Since she's feeling better and standing I'll go out and milk Debbie for some colostrum, perhaps that will help.

A dun bull calf out of Claudia and Mike. We were hoping for a shortie heifer out of her. At least he is healthy, and he was standing and going for a drink within a few minutes of being born. I checked on Claudia 30 minutes before that and there wasn't one sign that she was imminent . That's how I like em!