WEIRD Stillborn calf

I had this calf born dead yesterday.  Obviously, its bad messed up!  Its sire is a 3/4 Simmental 1/4 Angus bull, dam is a black commercial cow.  I was afraid it might be hydrocephaly, but from the pictures, Dr. Steffen didn't think so.  The lab at the University of TN Martin did a necropsy.  The calf had no brain, a hole in its skull, and enlarged kidneys, in addition to cleft lip and palate and fluid pockets over both eyes.  Dr. Steffen said he suspected "an encephaloceole or menigeoceole."  I don't know what exactly that is, but when the necropsy results are back I am supposed to forward them to him.  I have no idea what the cause of all these problems is.  All i know is that this is by far the weirdest dead calf we've ever had.

that is strange. Are the genetics common ones and have they been identified to carry other abnormalities?

The dam is one of Dad's commercial cows so I don't know what she is pedigree or percentage wise.  The bull is a Meyer son, out of a Dr Pepper Generation cow.  Theres really not much pedigree-wise to go off of.

Cut off an ear and send it to Dr B or DL. RW

Like RW said    SEND AN EAR TO DR.B OR DL.  Complete with a pedigree.  The only way to identify genetic defects is to send in samples.

Hope it is just a "freak", but you never know!!

This is just a thought, but if you still have the cow, you could draw blood on her and send an ear to Dr. B. A purple EDTA tube. If you have the bull on premises you could also draw blood on him.

Right DL?

Wow! I had a freak born last fall but yours takes the cake.

Maybe aliens mutilated it???

OH Breeder said:

This is just a thought, but if you still have the cow, you could draw blood on her and send an ear to Dr. B. A purple EDTA tube. If you have the bull on premises you could also draw blood on him.

Right DL?

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ABSOLUTELY OH B - Excellent point! In a perfect world - ear from calf, samples from dam and sire, pedigree, pictures, and necropsy report - then feel really good because you did the right thing 

I'm waiting on the necropsy results.  They didn't save an ear, but instead kept a tissue sample from the tongue and the liver.  I've got those in the freezer.  Jerry Lipsey from the ASA put me in contact with Dr. Steffen at the U of Nebraska.  The lab has his contact info to forward a necropsy report as soon as its done.  He doesn't seem to think its genetic, but when I get the report I'll work on getting blood from the sire and dam and forward it all to Dr. Beever to see what he thinks.

SD...did you or one of your alien friends breed that cow??? that looks like an alien had and with no brain that maybe it!  <alien>

All joking aside (which I can never resist getting a jab in at SD of course) WOW!  So sorry for your mess.  Hope they can figure it out.  I'd send the sample to Dr. B since I don't think DL has a lab that way it doesn't have to get passed around.

Did the cow carry the calf to term?  That is crazy.  Sorry for your luck.  Keep us posted please