Combined curly calf info

Help Support Steer Planet:

DL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
3,622
Attached is a pdf describing the latest genetic issue to hit the Angus breed - curly calf AKA Bovine Hereditary Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita

It has been seen across the US, as well as in Australia and I believe Canada - will post additional pictures and info when I get back - again have a Quadrant 4 day! ;)
 

Attachments

  • aaa_request.pdf
    52.3 KB · Views: 1,192

DLD

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Messages
1,539
Location
sw Oklahoma
Looks like there might be a reason some Angus bulls were accused of being TH carriers...
 

DL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
3,622
Yeah DLD I think you may be right. Also JS it is ironic - I certainly don't tag dead calves but maybe that was the only way to identify the dam amongst a bunch of deformed calves :(

Few more pictures - it is clear that the one calf required a fetotomy to be delivered

more info from Dr Dehnholm of Oz

Most cases are stillborn, but occasional BHAMC affected calves are born alive. All have arthrogryposis or fixation of the leg joints, usually with fixed flexion of the forelimbs and fixed extension of the hindlimbs as shown in Dr Steffen's photos. Most cases have severe kyphoscoliosis (twisting of the thoracic and lumbar spine), torticollis (twisting of the neck) and a marked lack of muscle development, leading to a bodyweight about half normal (about 15 to 20 kg). Most are full-term calves with erupted teeth, open eyelids etc. Some cases also have palatoschisis (cleft palate), as reported in Charolais calves in Canada with heritable congenital arthrogryposis. He has tracked this recessive defect in pedigrees back as far as a particular bull born in the southern USA in 1979. There are at least two lines of descent from this bull that carry the defective allele, but one of these lines is not a common line. The other line however is very common. The main suspect carrier in Australia has 10,000 registered progeny. His sire is also a suspect carrier and has several thousand progeny and several US bred sons in s current and recent semen catalogues. I believe there will be thousands of carriers in Australia and more in the USA.So you might ask why is it that this syndrome has not been reported before. The reason is that these arthrogrypotic calves look like calves deformed as a result of intrauterine infection with one of the teratogenic Bunyamviruses such as Akabane virus (Australia) or Cache Valley virus (USA) which cause arthrogryposis and hydranencephaly. Only a careful post-mortem examinination will detect the difference. We have had numerous cases of suspect Akabane disease reported here over the last few years that were negative for Akabane antibodies or virus. This syndrome will likely be more important than Fawn Calf Syndrome, not only because it is lethal, but also because the affected bloodlines are more prevalent. Most Angus breeders in Australia are likely to e affected by this disease and most Angus breeders in North America will probably also be affected.

Finally, this syndrome of arthrogryposis, kyphoscoliosis and palatoschisis has also been reported in Hereford cattle (by Leipold from Kansas University in 1974). It probably occurs in many Bos taurus breeds and has been reported in Angus, Charolais and Herefords since the 1970's.
 

Attachments

  • Arthrogrypotic Angus sm1.jpg
    Arthrogrypotic Angus sm1.jpg
    22.7 KB · Views: 5,638
  • Arthrogrypotic Angus sm2.jpg
    Arthrogrypotic Angus sm2.jpg
    24.5 KB · Views: 5,494
  • Arthrogrypotic Angus sm3.jpg
    Arthrogrypotic Angus sm3.jpg
    24.1 KB · Views: 5,458

bcosu

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
853
Location
Ohio
is there a privacy statement as to which bulls were the possible carriers mentioned? just wanted to know what the chances of being affected were.
 

aj

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
6,420
Location
western kansas
So is it a little different than th?Or completely different or similar? Iff it wasn't for the popularity of Doublestuff...no one would know about th in the shorthorns. :)
 

DL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
3,622
cbcfarms - I do not know who the carriers or purported carriers are - I am not terribly facile with the Angus pedigrees and the AAA appears to believe that any mention by anyone could result in someone suing someone (and blah blah blah) - which I find interesting since neither the Holstein nor RA associations take that position

aj - these are 2 completely different defects - although from the looks of the curly calf (and its twisted legs) you could see how it could be confused with TH - there is no abdominal hernia nor meningocele with the curly calf like there is in TH and there is apparently other abnormalities including in the brain with the curly calf.

It sure will be interesting...
 

bcosu

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
853
Location
Ohio
thanks for the explanation. i figured there would always be the threat of legal battles due to lost sales in semen and so forth. just have to wait it out and see when the smoke blows over.
 

red

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
7,850
Location
LaRue, Ohio
I agree w/ DLD. This probably explains why to the untrained eye why some Angus were accused of having TH.
Very interesting DL. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

Red
 

DL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
3,622
The American Angus Association has posted a great deal of information on their web site about Curly Calf Syndrome, including potentially involved blood lines.

http://www.angus.org/aaa_notice.pdf
 

Show Dad

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2007
Messages
5,127
Location
1 AU from a G2 yellow dwarf star
DL - I figure a test should be coming very soon. It will be interesting which sons are positive. Or which ancestors.

I do give the AAA some points for how they have handled the situation. But there is a long road to travel.
 

DL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
3,622
SD - I give the AAA points too - on Sept 5th they posted on their web site informatio about the defect and how to submit samples.  Per Dr B this resulted in a large number of samples. Last night they posted additional information -  in less than 2 weeks they have raised the bar on how an association should deal with lethal genetic defects - good for them, good for the breeders who submitted samples and good for Dr B & Barrel Racer too!
 

Show Dad

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2007
Messages
5,127
Location
1 AU from a G2 yellow dwarf star
After checking I have 3 Angus (black) heifers with 1680 in the pedigree. One of which has him on both sides. So the test will be done as soon as it is available. If they are positive I will calve them out with the calves getting tested with all positive ones going to slaughter and the cows going that way after their calving days are over.
 

Show Heifer

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
2,221
I must admit, I was really hard on the AAA for the "covering up" this problem, but by golly they have stepped up to the plate and hit a triple (takes a lot to make a home run - look at the Red Angus Assoc for example). I commend the angus assoc and Gardiner Angus for giving them permission to print the bulls name and for supplying samples.
I am lucky, I didn't jump on the carcass band wagon, and have no 1680 bloodlines..... yeah for me...but 1680 is a huge bull in the breed and I am sure this will effect the breed immensely.
Now lets see how they handle the commercial angus folks.....
 

zangus

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
9
Thanks DL,  I checked and the last 2 bulls I have used are descendants of 1680.  I have to hope CA Future Direction and Integrity are clean.

Please keep us updated
 

kanshow

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
2,660
Location
Kansas
This will potentially affect many who have used certain SimAngus bulls too.  That is a huge commercial market.  I wonder how/if the ASA will react. 
 

KYsteer

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 20, 2007
Messages
124
This is one of those things that I think can be attributed to greed.  Not necessarily the bad kind, but instead of developing new lines of cattle that excel in carcass traits breeders just linebred the 1680 bull and anytime linebreeding occurs recessive traits such as this one are exaggerated.  I am not being critical of the people that used the 1680 bull,  but genetics can be like investing money.  You should always have your investments diversified so as to not lose everything(Enron employees).  If you used the bull or his descendants in small doses then you should be fine, but if you built your herd around his offspring and did not outcross, then get ready for a bumpy ride.
 

aj

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
6,420
Location
western kansas
I wonder if with all these defects surfacing if linebreeding won't be a part of seedstocks testing program. If you have a line of great cattle linebreed the damn things. Then you can test for problems before you 178 cows flushed and a entire program built around the line. It just makes good business sense. I am surprised at the aaa handling of the situation however the breed is to big to keep secrets. In one sick thought at least th and pha are a positive factor in developing the look. Whereas dwarfism and marble bone and curly calf really don't. I sometimes wonder if doc b, and the vet out in Indiana or whereever who wondered about the defect calves(I can't think of his name-he et's) and the people who brought the th deal out in the open....kinda opened the doors to educating people on genetic defects. I think a book ought to be wrote about this stuff for genetic classes and breeders. People like dragon lady who literally got beat to death over the disscussion of defects need a pat on the back.Who are the other players?Bolze,Stefan,board members of what..4 breed associations?Hunsley, internet chat rooms. I know the th deal was a life lesson I learned from not really caring to understanding problem to tracing problem in my herd. In some ways the curly hair calf deal will be bigger because the Angus are such a force in the beef industry. I heard about the curly haired calf deal on a radio show today(agri-talk or something like that) Ken Roots old show.(Who by the way I shared a whiskey with after he gave a talk at the FHSU block and bridle banquet in say 1983 or so).I will never forget his words..."make it strong". Sorry Ken. ;D
 

knabe

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
13,639
Location
Hollister, CA
aj said:
I wonder if with all these defects surfacing if linebreeding won't be a part of seedstocks testing program. If you have a line of great cattle linebreed the damn things. Then you can test for problems before you 178 cows flushed and a entire program built around the line. It just makes good business sense. I am surprised at the aaa handling of the situation however the breed is to big to keep secrets. In one sick thought at least th and pha are a positive factor in developing the look. Whereas dwarfism and marble bone and curly calf really don't.

what would really suck is if some of the carcass results were part of a cascade of events of marble bone in the heterozygous state.

linebreeding is the quickest way to discover defects and get rid of them if no test is available.  the problem is, that most breeders don't have the numbers like in the past to deal with this.  they only have numbers to deal with it and it's positive traits.

what is the profit margin of a linebred tested bull versus one that isn't.  until there is, most people won't linebreed for defect elimination purposes.
 
Top