Posted on 05/19/2005 11:58:02 PM PDT by kingattax
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - One of Orlando Romero's calves has a leg up on the other 25 calves born within the last two weeks on his ranch east of Tucumcari. The calf was born with an extra leg, with two hooves, growing from its back.
Ranchers in the area aren't quite sure what to make of the little Limousin heifer. That is, if they can catch her.
"She moves like a damn deer. I had a heck of a time trying to catch her," said Jess Weaks, the ranch caretaker. "She's pretty ornery, that's for sure."
The week-old calf's extra leg does not touch the ground. It is attached to the calf's back between the shoulder blades, and hangs to its right side.
The branch-like growth is the only major difference between the copper-colored calf and the rest of the herd, said Shane Jennings, a neighbor who first spotted the heifer.
"It's just cosmetic. She's out there in the pasture right now, like any other cow. The little booger's doing good. It's in real good health," Jennings said.
Jennings was in the field checking on yearlings last week when he saw that one cow was close to giving birth. He left to tend to other work, and when he returned he saw the cow with her new calf.
But he was startled by what he saw when he approached the hours-old calf.
"I thought, 'What in the world is that?' and as I got a closer look and saw the extra leg I said 'Oh boy, what am I gonna come up with next?'" Jennings said.
Jennings said he's seen deformities in calves before and that Tucumcari's ranch supply store used to have a stuffed two-headed, stillborn calf.
"But I've never seen anything like this," he said.
Neither have most people, said Milton Thomas, professor of beef cattle physiology and genetics at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. He said extra body parts are a freak occurrence.
"It's very, very rare," Thomas said. "Generally, a lot of these don't do well."
Thomas said extra appendages result of a cellular mix up during the replication of genetic material in early embryo development. Certain cells will develop into tissues such as muscles or organs, but some receive skewed signals and grow into unnecessary parts.
"This calf wasn't exposed to anything in the environment or anything like that. This happens to all mammalian species," Thomas said.
Weaks said Romero has talked with veterinarians about removing the leg, and will likely transport the calf to his other ranch in Sapello, where it will become an ordinary cow.
"All (Romero) did was laugh when I told him about the calf," Weaks said. "I think he's gonna keep her. She's so cute. Women would die for eyelashes like hers."
AP Photo/SHANE JENNINGS This photo provided by rancher Shane Jennings shows a 5-legged, 6-hooved calf that was born last week on a ranch east of Tucumcari, N.M. The calf, a Limousin heifer owned by Orlando Romero of Sapello, N.M., was delivered naturally and is in otherwise good physical condition.
Hey, buddy.....you know this was posted earlier today, don't ya??
lol
soccer anyone?
Marry her off to a Limousin liberal.
lol...smarty
Oh boy! Extra Cow Drumsticks! :)
Having personally pulled a calf.....
This could have been confusing were it somehow this hoof that came first....
wtfiiwnm?
Now if only it had a female with legs coming out it's back, we could have a whole new species.
Interesting.
Becky
wow.
good one.
Yeah, I saw that as I read further down the list of postings.
5-legged beef. H-m-m-m
I saw that on Drudge. Weird.
Marry her off to a Limousin liberal.
Then hire a lawyer and sue this snotty cowboy.
The little booger's doing good.
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