Calves Ears

[Garythelad]

Hi, Can someone help me with this calves ears. He is the second one to be effected out of a herd of 14. The're all about 5 months old. All help appreciated.

[G. Seddon]

Frostbite? Not sure where you're located (appears to be some green grass?) but here's an article on it if this helps:

http://www.angusjournal.com/articlep...01_09%20aj.pdf

[dannyw]

coyotes usually go for the ears and tail first.

[Garythelad]

Thanks for suggestions. I'm in New Zealand, No frost & no Coyotes

[ramiller5675]

It looks an awful lot like frostbite to me. A newborn calf that is born when it's wet and cold will get the tips of their ears and sometimes their tails frostbitten, and will look normal until it's a little older and then the dead tissue will fall off.

[G. Seddon]

Hmmmm, any other species pastured with them that might be responsible? Donkeys, horses? Any people with cattle near you that have experienced the same thing? Ask your vet, your neighbors, friends with cattle?

[ksfarmer]

Any fences or feeders that they are reaching through and catching their ears on?

[MO_cows]

The ears looked normal until recently? No other injuries, just the ears? Even if you don't have coyotes to contend with (lucky you!), you could have dogs bothering your cattle but it seems like they would damage more than just an ear tip. Got horses or donkeys in the same pasture or adjacent with a fenceline? Could they be nipping the calves?

[tinknal]

Well, If not frost my best bet would be external parasites, probably lice.

[DJ in WA]

Could use better photos, but assuming they are losing the eartips, and no frostbite there, my first thought is ergot poisoning, a fungus in feed or pasture. It causes blood vessels to constrict and cattle can lose the end of tail and ears from lack of blood supply.

I read there can be lameness also, so don't know if that fits your situation or if this can happen without lameness.

Here's a few references:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/in.../bc/212203.htm

http://animalrangeextension.montana....alth/ergot.htm

Symptoms of gangrenous ergotism involve the extremities of the animal including the nose, ears, tail, and limbs . Early signs usually start in the hind limbs (Figure 5). Lameness may appear from two to six weeks after first ingesting ergot. There may be pain, stamping of the feet, and coolness of the affected areas. If ergot consumption continues, sensation to pain is lost in the affected areas and an indented line appears between normal tissue and gangrenous tissue. This gangrenous tissue is called `dry gangrene.' Eventually all tissue below this line will slough. Besides the limbs, other extremities involved can include the tail and ears. The tips and distal areas of the extremities will also slough.

[DJ in WA]

Was just reading more about ergot and the sclerotia, a black mass of fungus that replaces seed in the seed head. Here's a picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...%3Disch&itbs=1

Was reading the Merck Veterinary Manual link. If the pasture is grown up with flowers and seedheads, there can be ergot. Might want to take a close look at seedheads for black stuff. To control the problem, need to keep the pasture mowed or grazed before the seedheads develop. May not be your problem, but at least I'm learning something.

I'm assuming you're not feeding grain, which could have been harvested from an ergot infested crop.

From your photo, it does look like you have old growth in your pasture.

Ergotism can be controlled by an immediate change to an ergot-free diet. Under pasture feeding conditions, frequent grazing or topping of pastures prone to ergot infestation during the summer months reduces flower-head production and helps control the disease.

[Garythelad]

Thanks for your help. I have moved the cattle to a paddock I mowed about a month ago & I'm now mowing all paddocks with seed heads. Only the ears have been affected & only on 2 calves. Now they're moved do they require any treatment?

[tinknal]

Gary, have you checked them for lice?

[Garythelad]

Hi tinknal, They were treated with pour on about 3 months ago, but to be sure I,m going to do them again next week. Thanks for your input.

[G. Seddon]

Not sure, but I think DJ's suggestion -- ergot poisoning -- might be correct.