Dickhead

[Broomcroft]

Post deleted (by OP) as it has offended some people. Can't understand why myself, as such a deformity is so rare.

[Rob R]

That is the weirdest deformity I've ever seen...

We haven't had any in the sheep yet, and neither has a neighbour who finished completely, but another neighbour has had about 10 calves affected, so I'm not really looking forward to calving this year.

[Tim Watson]

Clive this looks very much like some of the samples of schmallenberg we were shown by the vets a month ago. The undershot jaw is apparently a real giveaway. How was its neck and spine? Were they very stiff or twisted. I am away at the moment but when I get back I'll dig out the notes I have.

[Broomcroft]

Got two vet students with us at the moment and they are going to dissect it today, so will have a look at what's inside. It was born dead by the way.

[Broomcroft]

The vet students discovered it's a Cyclops Lamb. It happens, according to the research they looked at, in about 1 out of every 16000 lambs. Humans can also be born with the same problem. It's nothing to do with Schmallenberg, breed or breeding apparently. Since having this one, I've spoken to one other farmer who also had one but didn't know what it was.

[Rob R]

Did they find out what it was to do with, just a random mutation perhaps?

[Broomcroft]

It's got something to do with eggs splitting or something like that. I didn't read it properly. It just happens every now and again and if it was out in the field you'd probably never know.

If you search for cyclops humans, or cyclops babies, you'll find detail of humans born just the same. One eye in the centre with two pupils, no upper jaw and what looks like a penis growing out of the forehead. Interesting that the effect on a lamb is identical to that on humans. We're not that far apart, or at least some of us aren't .