The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: PipKelpy on January 09, 2021, 09:11:51 pm
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Apologies in advance for the essay!
Winter 2019, whilst in the stall, Mary developed on her front right teat, a wart on the side. After she was AI'd, another wart appeared, this one "growing" out of the end of her back left teat. Vet said to use cryospray to freeze them off. This spray is expensive when you use 12 cans! But it was for Mary! However, didn't work so I told vet, to cut them off, which is something he didn't want to do when they first appeared. Because she was 6 months In calf at time, he couldn't give her anesetic. However, the upside, because I had been spraying them for weeks, he could freeze, slice, spray! Which he did, very fast. She never noticed! Warts are in vodka in a bottle! Now, he said 50/50 chance regarding to 1/4's being viable. The front 1/4 and tit are completely dead. This is fine!
Problem - I had noticed whilst treating Mary, Jennifer's teats had "bumps". I asked the vet if the bumps were warts in the making. He said he didn't know.
Bumps, on each teat have developed into cauliflower type skin tags / teats.
Mum has told me to cut my losses and to send her through the auction as each teat is affected. My concern is that the tags / warts aren't big enough for me to spray at the moment without hitting the teats (freeze damage) and even if they were all removed, like Mary, she could have 1 or more dead 1/4 and teats.
With gloves on, I have felt each tag/wart for position. None would prevent the teats from being suckled on condition they stayed small.
Has anyone experienced this On a heifer or a mature cow even? She's halter trained, ties well, eats out of my hands etc.
What do I do? Any suggestions......
As said in post about Mary calving, Jennifer is NOT in calf. And no, I can't eat her. Am eyeing up Edward though!
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Hillie had the odd wart, Plenty had one. Never caused us any real problems. Sometime they might get a bit bloody in summer, with calves suckling and flies pestering. So then I'd use a pour-on to reduce the flies, and apply a tea tree oil after milking, which mostly stopped it becoming really bothersome.
Kitty (Plenty's daughter) had one as a heifer, which grew and caused the teat end to gape, which resulted in low-grade infection. So I ruefully decided to not risk putting her in calf.
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Hillie had the odd wart, Plenty had one. Never caused us any real problems. Sometime they might get a bit bloody in summer, with calves suckling and flies pestering. So then I'd use a pour-on to reduce the flies, and apply a tea tree oil after milking, which mostly stopped it becoming really bothersome.
Kitty (Plenty's daughter) had one as a heifer, which grew and caused the teat end to gape, which resulted in low-grade infection. So I ruefully decided to not risk putting her in calf.
All above is what bothers me!
Our original herd NEVER had warts on their teats. Juniper came in with 7 soft (bigger than a pea, smaller than a cherry) size warts on her teats. We passed comment at the time, owners said not to worry! (But each subsequent calf that came off them came with clean teats, developed warts later. After Mary's grew last year, mum said NOT buying any more calves off them!)
When Juniper calved in May the teats caused her problems as where the warts had been, the teats split. This is what worries me regarding to Jennifer. (Jelly, first calf, bit them all off!)
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My twin dexters had warty teats .... they appeared got worse then vanished (as warts also do on humans) over a period of years. Both had calves suckle and occasionally got a bit sore.... but not a great issue. Different if cow is form home milking I guess.
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My cows all had them. Vet said to leave them alone and they went away. The bull have them all over his nose just after webought him. They've all gone now too. He said they were the same as human ones and would go in time.
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Have got tb test booked for Jennifer and Edward, hopefully clear, so they can depart (prices not bad at auction! That'll jinx it!)
One of the warts completely enveloped a tit, shocking how fast it went round! So, rubber gloves and neat tea tree oil! Jennifer not impressed! However, tit almost completely clear!
It knarks me to part with her considering the effort I have put in, halter training, stall training etc but this tit skin tag/wart problem bothers me. Maybe I'm wherriting over nothing, but the other side is that I'm half way through the haylege! Neither she nor Edward will make more if I feed them through to main test in July, (she's 2 yr old next month he's 13 month old tomorrow 4th Feb!) and no I can't even eat him now, they've been roughing it out and he's black and fluffy!!
I get too attached!