Warts!

[HillHaven Farm]

Our new Dexter heifer we bought back in November has developed warts around her right eye. She has a cluster of about four right at the front corner. They are not impeding her sight any as they are off the eyelid itself. We do not want this to spread to any other cows if that is even possible. Anyone know of any barnyard remedies for this or do I need to call the vet? My Grandma would say cut a potato in half, rub on the warts, plant in the northeast part of the garden on a full moon, gone by the next full moon. lol. I am hoping for something a little more scientific. Thanks,  Matt

[littlecowfl]

Most old vets will tell your to cut a wart off, crush it, and feed it to the heifer via oral syringe (may want to flavor it up with molasses). That is supposed to trigger her immune system to go after the warts. Otherwise, they are just cosmetic and typically go away by the cow's second year. The downside is that she will not be allowed at any fairs with warts because they are highly contagious. Also, all cows under two years of age are likely to get them. There is a vaccine (too late for her) that is relatively effective.

[HillHaven Farm]

Ok. So they will go away on their own eventually without any help? We only have four head right now. Our older cow, her steer which will be butchered in June, a ten month heifer from the same cow and this new heifer we bought. My wife said she saw a couple cows from the farm we bought her from that she thought might have warts. We will keep a close eye on this to see how it develops. Thanks, Matt