What do I do about warts on new yearling heifer

[Azriel]

Hi, I don't know if this is really a disease, I guess its more of a virus, but I want it gone.
I bought a yearling heifer last week, it was cold and snowing and didn't get to look her over real well. We picked her up yesterday, and when we got her home and in the pen, I found she has a large wart on her neck, and 2 very small ones on her forehead. She is isolated from my other cow, how do I get rid of the warts and keep this from spreading to my cow who is due to calf in June.

 

[BrownSheep]

If I remember correctly the warts can be cut off. I also think there is a vaccine but I am iffy on this. I would call a large animal vet and see what they recommend.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Usually warts will fall off on their own after a while (who knows how long this heifer has had warts for...). You can vaccinate for them since they are caused by a virus, but the best remedy for permanent removal is getting her on a good mineral program, as that will naturally boost her immunity to the virus that causes this skin condition. I've heard some things like pulling them off, squeezing the little ones so that it gets in the animal's blood stream so they'll develop immunity to it, putting a freezer wart application on the wart like the stuff you'd get at the pharmacy, burning off with a branding iron (probably a dehorning iron may work too...), the list goes on.

 

[jhm47]

Cattle warts are caused by a virus that spreads very quickly. Some cattle are naturally immune to it. There is a vaccine, but it doesn't work very well. I have the virus in my cattle, and have one/two that are affected each year. I take a pliers and pinch the warts till the bleed a bit. My vet suggested that this is the best way to inoculate the animal against them. It supposedly releases a large amount of the virus into the animals' bloodstream, and they mount an immune response to the virus. Works for me every time, and doesn't cost anything. As far as I know, the virus doesn't affect humans. Good luck!

 

[Elm Tree acres]

Cattle Show folk would tie off unsightly warts with a tight knot using cotton wool - will drop off in a day or two

 

[Azriel]

Thanks for the replys, I have started her on some grain, and got a good mineral supplement for her. She is a very sweet heifer, and I hope she will make a good family milk cow for me. She is Brown Swiss/Shorthorn. The place where I got her from was very over croweded with cows and sheep, they did have nice hay, but I didn't see any type of mineral feeder and they said that they did not feed grain of any kind to the cows. They had a Jersy cow I wish I could have taken also, she was very,very thin, had 2 calves on her plus they were milking her, but I just couldn't come up with what they wanted for her.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Thanks for the replys, I have started her on some grain, and got a good mineral supplement for her. She is a very sweet heifer, and I hope she will make a good family milk cow for me. She is Brown Swiss/Shorthorn. The place where I got her from was very over crowded with cows and sheep, they did have nice hay, but I didn't see any type of mineral feeder and they said that they did not feed grain of any kind to the cows. They had a Jersey cow I wish I could have taken also, she was very,very thin, had 2 calves on her plus they were milking her, but I just couldn't come up with what they wanted for her.

That's too bad. Though I'm not a grain-advocate myself (would rather have cattle on grass and hay than grain), having dairy cows or cattle with dairy-influence and not supplementing with a high quality protein/energy source like grain like dairy cows typically need is on the borderline of being irresponsible. Not that those folks you bought that heifer from don't care about their animals, I think they may (and this is just my guesstimate) not have sufficient knowledge in ruminant nutrition to really know what was best for their animals other than feeding hay all the time. The big red flag was the fact you mentioned you didn't see any kind of mineral feeder (not even a salt or TM block??) in the corral.

Then again, Jerseys are dairy and are expected to be quite thin and bony...most dairy animals are like that. But, with the feeding program that you mentioned, it's not surprising to hear that.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Azriel]

I don't want to say anything really bad about these people, I do think they care about their animals, they just have too many. They had nice alfalfa hay but I don't think it was free choice, and he did say they were almost out of hay, and that was why they were selling the heifer I bought and a few of the other cows. I did not see any type of salt or TM block. When I gave my heifer the minerals I could only leave it with her for a short time as she was eating so much I thought she would get sick. I now have it with her free choice.
I don't feed a lot of grain, my beef cow gets some cattle cake as a treat, and has a protein tub as I feed grass hay, this heifer is thin, not super skinny, but thin, and I think a little small for a yearling, so I am graining her a little more to build her up till we get grass. She also had a pot belly, so I wormed her, and will retreat her in 3 weeks.