Hungry mums breed sick calves

摘要

Could incidents of acorn calf disease (ACD) in Australian herds increase with a drying climate? According to new research carried out by the University of Sydney and funded by Meat Livestock Australia, the answer is yes. Acorn calf disease (ACD), alsoknown as congenital chondrodystrophy and bulldog calf syndrome, affects animals in utero. It causes dwarf-like calves born with deformities such as bent and shortened legs, widened chests and domed heads. It mainly affects spring calving beef herds during drought years. During the past decade the disease has been estimated to cost the Australian beef industry $2 million.