Category Archives: Articles

Ankole-Watusi have always garnered attention wherever they go. This is a collection of articles about Watusi cattle from various media sources. If you have a Watusi article we don’t have, please email us at info@watusi.org.

Knuckling & Contracted Tendons

Dickinson Cattle Co, LLC


 

DCC Ranch eNews #170 – 5-29-2019

by: Darol Dickinson

In 1987, Dr. Ben Carson was the lead neurosurgeon of a 70-member surgical team that separated conjoined twins, Patrick and Benjamin Binder, who had been joined at the back of the head (craniopagus twins); the separation surgery held promise in part because of the hopeless existence had Carson not operated.

Conjoined twins are identical twins[1] joined in utero. An extremely rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa.[2] Approximately half are stillborn, and an additional one-third die within 24 hours.

Whether it is human, animal or hatched fowl, deformities and mutations happen. Of course no one wants these unusual beings, but every effort is usually made so they will have a normal life.

Every now and then calves are born with a condition called contracted tendons. It results in the calf not being able to straighten out its front pasterns so they can put their hooves flat on the ground.

Calves that have this end up walking with their front hooves turned back. Some people refer to this also as knuckling.The most often mentioned theory revolves around insufficient room in the uterus for extension and growth of the tendons. Most believe it more often occurs in older cows and in bull calves who form a ball in the uterus. For long periods the ankles are bent back and the tendons do not stretch pre-birth.

Some say it may be mineral related. The minerals that may be involved are manganese and selenium. Vitamin D and E also play a part in muscle and tendon growth in the infantile calf.

Unfortunately, this condition does not have a well-defined cause or solution that I’ve been able to find.

Recently on Facebook this photo was published with questions about the why and how of the issue. What causes it and what does an owner do?

Certain plants ( lupine, locoweed, bluebonnet, and poison vetch), if eaten by the pregnant female at just the right point in gestation may contribute to the problem.

The affected calf may straighten out after hobbling around several days, depending on the severity of the knuckling. It’s important in the first few days to make sure the calf nurses. Keeping the cow and calf in a smaller area is advised.

Many years ago at DCC a Buelingo calf was born knuckled. We let her attempt to correct and it was not humane. She began to get sores on the front of her ankles above the hoof from walking on the skin.

We carved two small boards about a foot long and rounded the corners. Both legs below the knee were wrapped with cloth. A big ball of cloth was placed on the joint above the ankle. The lower leg was stretched straight to where the calf could walk on the hoof correctly. Then the whole thing was wrapped with vet wrap. She immediately began to run and play.

In a week or so the splints were removed and no one would ever know that was a problem.

From veterinarian articles no appearance of genetic future occurrences were recorded.

Hopefully this will help when or if you ever have one. You don’t have to call Dr. Carson, just do it yourself. DD

2016 ELECTION FOR WWA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Every year as our annual membership meeting approaches we prepare for our election of new members to the Board of Directors.

Our membership meeting will be held on September 21, 2016 in Macon, Missouri so we must get our ballots ready by July.

There are three positions coming up for election this year for 3 year terms.  If you would like to run or if you know of some other member that would like to run and serve, please contact Pam Jackson, our Secretary,  at rpjackson@wk.net or Cindi Darling, watusi@liarslake.com or Garett Judd, garettjudd@yahoo.com.

This Association belongs to all of our members and as such the determination of our Board of Director’s is important to every one of us.  The qualifications are simple besides a desire to serve, one must be an active, voting member in good standing for two consecutive years with no felony convictions.   We look forward to more participation.

Watusi For Beginners and from the beginning

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in 1996 in Watusi World but has been preserved in it’s original form as it is still so informative. 

By: Marlin Neidhardt

A brief overview of the beginning of Watusi cattle in America and cattle husbandry. Written by a layman, for a layman.

Watusi, “The Cattle of Kings”, invoke a special feeling in the hearts of those they touch. So, if you see these magnificent, huge horned cattle and they stir a magic feeling in your soul – it is something special to nurture and enjoy.

Continue reading Watusi For Beginners and from the beginning

A Short History of Watusi Cattle

Over 8,000 years ago humans first domesticated Aurochs, the wild ancestor of the numerous breeds of cattle that have played such an important role in human development. In the thousands of years after this first momentous event, humans have bred herds of domesticated animals for use as transportation, companions, protection, clothing and food. In these domesticated groups individual animals exhibiting certain characteristics were selected by the herdmaster and bred to each other. The resulting generations ultimately created the hundreds of breeds of cattle presently known to man. The Aurochs themselves became extinct prior to 1627, but their legacy lives on.

Continue reading A Short History of Watusi Cattle

Horns, Horns, and more Horns

It is no great revelation to any Watusi enthusiast whether a cattle owner or not that the most important and distinguishing feature of this species is the horn. Most of us are aware that the Watusi breed is composed of animals with huge, heavy and long horns. The heaviest and longest of all cattle breeds in the world. But not everyone is really aware just how difficult it is to come up with those fantastic horns.

Continue reading Horns, Horns, and more Horns

Selection of a Herdsire

Editor’s note: Reprinted with permission from Watusi World, Vol 1, Issue II

The selection of a herd sire is by far the most critical factor in determining 50 percent of the genetic potential of every breeder’s future calf crops. Any decision on a herd bull should be well planned and not a sentimental or hasty one. Often, the auction bargain may not prove to meet the highest requirements either. In this article we shall deal with the major considerations and decisions involving sire selection.

Continue reading Selection of a Herdsire

First Watusi in the USA

Reprinted with permission from Watusi World, Vol 5, Issue I

November 9, 1960 marks the date that the first Watusi cattle ever to enter the United States arrived. In a cooperative effort between the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark and the Catskill Game Farm of Catskill, New York, two young bulls, one speckled red and white in color and one solid red were the first to arrive. They were born in Scandinavia of parentage direct from Africa generations before.

Continue reading First Watusi in the USA

The Swede Pattern – Famous ancient Watusi color pattern

Jimmie the Swede was a full blood Watusi imported to the USA from the Stockholm Zoo in Sweden by Jimmy Tarbox of Oklahoma. He was the first Watusi available in North America in frozen semen, the first to sire a Watusi embryo transfer and appears in the most pedigrees of any Watusi sire this side of Africa. Although he has been replaced by modern bulls with more horn, he left his “Swedish Pattern” color in Mexico, Canada and in between.

Continue reading The Swede Pattern – Famous ancient Watusi color pattern

Watussirender in Hallabrunn

EDITOR’S NOTE: In doing research on the Watusi breed, Marleen Felius of the Netherlands made an interesting discovery. We [WWA] had previously reported that the only Watusi cattle ever brought out of Africa were brought out in 1929 and 1930 by Walter Schulz and his father Christoph. Now it appears that there was one more small shipment of 6 head also brought to Germany from Africa in about 1939. The following is a copy of part of the article which appeared in the monthly journal of the Hellabrunn Zoo at Munchen, Germany dated April 1939. Reprinted with permission from Watusi World, Vol 4, Issue II.

By: Marleen Felius

Before the World War [I], the German explorer Professor D. Berger visited East Africa and the behind lying country of the Sultan of Uganda, in the source area of the Nile, between Lake Victoria and Lake Rudolf. Berger found a negro state with crowded cities from a hight standing negro architecture and a densly populated agricultural and cattle keeping country.

Continue reading Watussirender in Hallabrunn