Angus Calf Is Bald But Healthy

Angus Calf Is Bald But Healthy AG WORLD One calf in Billy Widener’s herd of Black Angus cattle stands out because of what it’s missing – hair The calf was born on May 17 totally bald In the last couple months however some tufts of short hair have appeared Widener was drinking coffee on his deck when he noticed the cow in labor When he walked over to her he noticed right away something was different “All 11 of my cows are Black Angus ” he told the local newspaper “And I thought I was seeing red ” A veterinarian suggested keeping the bald calf in the shade as it would sunburn easily “I tried to keep the mother and calf in a corral with shade but she wouldn’t have it so I let them out ” Widener says He put them in a shaded area in the pasture with the other cattle and the calf seemed to be doing just fine She was healthy and growing as fast as the other calves However in July’s extreme heat Widener noticed some blistering on the calf’s skin Nobody in the area had ever seen anything like it he says even at Auburn University Someone at the university thought it could be related to a thyroid gland condition There’s a genetic condition called Hypotrichosis that occasionally occurs in several breeds of cattle Calves are born with no hair and grow a short curly coat of hair with age They are prone to stress from cold and wet conditions and more prone to skin infections Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Billy Widener 1535 Peck Hollow Rd Somerville Ala 35670 ph 256 778-8994

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