Congenital Defects in Cattle
R. R. Schalles, Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University
H.W. Leipold, Department of Pathology, Kansas State University
R. L. McCraw, Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University
There are many undesirable traits that show up in beef cattle. These range from poor performance and structural unsoundness to semi-lethal and lethal diseases. Many of these are caused by varying amounts of genetic influence; others are caused by environmental conditions or an interaction between the animal’s genetic makeup and the environment in which it lives.