Bull question??

[southernultrablack]

would there be any issues with using a son of a bull that has a genetic defect (NH) if the son tested free of the defect?

 

[Lucky_P]

No...
Is he free of other known defects, as well?

But there's also the possibility that any animal could be the 'founder' of a new defect... I've encountered that - Angus bull that we purchased was evidently the 'founder' of the Sodium Channel Neuropathy defect... and in the course of 7 or 8 years of him serving as a cleanup bull behind AI... breeding an occasional daughter or granddaughter... we had several defective calves.

 

[southernultrablack]

No...
Is he free of other known defects, as well?

But there's also the possibility that any animal could be the 'founder' of a new defect... I've encountered that - Angus bull that we purchased was evidently the 'founder' of the Sodium Channel Neuropathy defect... and in the course of 7 or 8 years of him serving as a cleanup bull behind AI... breeding an occasional daughter or granddaughter... we had several defective calves.

He is free of other defects, AM,DD, OS.

 

[Col Reb]

would there be any issues with using a son of a bull that has a genetic defect (NH) if the son tested free of the defect?

Glad to see this post. I’m in the process of purchasing a bull that along the line somewhere in the AAA numbers a dame (not his dame) had listed as a possible carrier. He’s genetic defect free per AAA, though. Going on some commercial cows but still don’t need one with 5 legs or 3 ears. Probably wouldn’t bring too good at the sale barn, lol.

 

[Col Reb]

Dam not dame, showing my ignorance

 

[SPH]

If a bull has been tested free of a defect there should be no concern using him as he is not going to pass on a defect one of his ancestors in his pedigree may be a carrier of. Typically both dam and sire have to be carrier of the same defect for the defect to actually be present in the progeny of the mating.

The Hereford breed now tests for Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) on top of the HY IE and DL they already have been testing for and while there were some people that were up in arms when it was disclosed that another defect has been detected in the breed the reality is once you test for it and find a carrier you make management decisions to make sure the defect is not propagated further. You stop using bulls that are carriers and any cows that test as a carrier it's not necessarily a death sentence for them, you just make sure you breed them to bulls that are tested free of defects and DNA test any progeny you retain as seedstock to make sure the defect was not passed on to them.