Feedlot Believe It or Not

Six Legged Calf

One of Brian Slocum's cows gave birth to a six-legged, hermaphroditic calf with no rectum. It happened April 29th on the Slocum farm near Litchfield, Nebraska, and the reports are the calf is doing well. Details here at the Beatrice Sun. Normally, oddball livestock births like this are so messed up internally that they don't live very long. This one, however, is thriving. Of course, if Slocum's veterinarian hadn't sewed the calf a new a-hole, he wouldn't be so chipper.

That is what I find surprising about all this. Why didn't Slocum or his vet make the decision to cull this oddity? I assume Slocum isn't raising cattle as a hobby. Does Slocum plan to sell this animal on the market? Would you like to eat it? I doubt that this calf will put on weight as efficiently as the rest of the herd, and when you add in the extra vet bill for the new rectum, where's the profit?

Maybe Mr. Slocum plans to put a See the Six Legged Cow sign on Interstate 80, near the world-famous Kearney Archway with directions to his Litchfield, Nebraska farm. Tourists wouldn't hesitate to drive 40+ miles out of their way to see such an attraction. Look how many go see the Arch. I paid a dollar to see a two headed baby at the 1961 Orange Show in San Bernardino, California, and he was in a jar.