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Hereditary Edema in Ayrshire Cattle¹

Departments of Zoology and Dairy Husbandry, Kansas State College, Manhattan

ABSTRACT

After studying 325 cases of edema (dropsy or anasarca) in Ayrshire calves, Donald et al. (1) of Scotland concluded that the disease is hereditary. They found a preponderance of males affected but concluded that a less severe condition in females may not be recognized. A similar, if not identical, condition has been observed by Korkman (4) in Ayrshire calves in Finland. Evidence is reasonably conclusive that the condition is inherited as a single autosomal recessive.

This type of congenital edema is believed to be rare on the North American continent. In Ayrshires at the University of British Columbia 10 cases have been recorded (3). Eight of these were sired by a bull that was a half-sib of two edematous calves. The case being discussed in this report is one of two animals previously reported by Eldridge and Atkeson (2), the only cases reported to date in the United States. The original report was made in order to call attention of breeders to the hereditary nature and economic aspects of the condition.

¹ Contribution No. 256, series 301, Department of Zoology and contribution No. 229 Department of Dairy Husbandry, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan.