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no tail?

F

Fordfarmer

Well-known Member
One of my cows calved today, her second calf, and a heifer. When I brought it in from the pasture, the first thing I noticed was that it didn't have a tail. Wasn't stepped on and torn off or anything like that - she just doesn't have one. You can run your finger over where her tailhead should be, and there's no bone there. The spine just ends. I've seen pictures of various cattle deformations before, but we've never had one like this. Have any of you?
 
Fordfarmer,

I've never seen one with no tail at all, but I have one cow who has no long hair on the end of her tail. She has a normal sized tail, it just doesn't have the bushy end on it.

She was a calf born here and has been that way since birth.

Tom in TN
 
I have heard of born without tail but never had it happen and seen it. My brother bought 9 3 year old brangus that couldn't be told apart were it not for numbers in their ears and a single cow missing her tail bush. Naturaly we wondered what happend to her. Turns out she would freight train men and dogs. We decided somone on the first ranch probibly cut it off so they would recconize her before she got element of suprise.
 
We bought a dairy cow with a short tail, no switch, above her hocks. We thought she must of lost it sometime before we got her. But about the 4th calf we got from her was a heifer with almost no tail at all. Just a stub. And it was deformed. Other than that, "Stubby" grew up to be a normal cow.
 
You could ask David Childres that is on the tv show called, ancient alliens, when no one knows the answer he always says extraterrestrial.
 
oddly enough - I happen to have a cow tail I can mail to you.

My daughter had her cow at a fair - tail got stepped on and cut off. The kids saved it for some reason, and it's sitting rather well preserved in a box.

I keep meaning to toss it, but now I'm glad we have it since you need one. :)
 
I have heard of congenital hypotrichosis, commonly known as the rat-tail syndrome produced by crossing a dominant gene black color cow with Continental breeds.
I have also heard of no tail but most of these have anus problems or even no anus. Since you did not mention that I assume that you do not have this added problem.

I believe you are a dairy farmer so I assume she will be added to your herd.
Not a real problem then. Heck some farmers dock tails to get them out of the way.
I just would not breed this cow to this sire again to avoid the recessive gene in both that most likely caused this.

If this was a beef steer I would say eat him to avoid the price reduction at the sale barn.
 
Anne (SWMBO) googled it last night when I told her about the calf. Seems some of them die, due to multiple birth defects/genetic problems, and others have to be put down due to spine problems. Looks like the latter may be the case with this one. It can stand, but not real steady, and can't walk much. Kinda hops the hind legs along. We'll wait a few days and see how she does. But it doesn't look likely that she'll ever be a milker.
 
back in the day when I was milking a cow as a kid I would have liked to have one with no tail, especially in the winter when it was full of mud
 
So she does have anus/spine problems.
It could also have hair-less skin in the anus area among other problems.

I have never personally seen it but have heard of it. Just a birth defect. You put enough calves on the ground you bound to have some problems along the way as you well know.

Is this a calf from AI?
 
Anus is there and functional. Guessing the missing bone(s) are causing problems by not providing proper ligament or tendon attachments.
Yes, 100% A.I. breeding. Haven't looked yet to see which bull this calf is from, but will make a note to not use that one on Kathryn again.
 
Mud is mostly a spring problem here (and fall). Winter is snow and ice. And I'd prefer mud, to what they usually sling.
 
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