DNA samples

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What does everyone use for taking DNA samples for testing?
We just started using the All flex TSU. It's really easy once you get used to loading the gun but I screwed up many of the vials.... I kept squeezing the dang gun too hard when you load it to set the cutter pin !
The vials are numbered so it makes it really easy if you have a lot of samples to take. So much easier than blood or hair sample cards.
 
We use the blood cards. We do biopyrn pregnancy tests on the cows after breeding. So, also tail bleed the calves for DNA tests at the same time. If we do DNA on a cow, we use a few drops of blood on a blood card before filling the red top tube for the biopryn test (collect the tail blood with a needle on a syringe instead of the double sided needle). Works ok for us.

I heard there was a shortage of the TSU units last year. Maybe that is solved now.

We pulled hair samples years ago. That was a little slow and cumbersome.
 
I can tell you that it doesn't get any easier than the TSU.
We also use to pull blood out of the tail.
Now when they're just a few weeks old at the latest, or as soon as we can catch the little bugger, we take the tissue sample from the ear and use the same hole to put the tag in.
I also had read there was a shortage of the vials, but I had no issue getting a 10 pack last week from Leedstone.
 
I use DNA for parentage verification and for enhanced epd's. When tests are done on registered cattle, a percentage come back as incorrect parentage. AI programs may AI and then turn out with a cleanup bull and try to figure out which bull sired the calf. Some cows have been known to switch calves. Some may be intentional by the breeder or just sloppy record keeping. Enhanced epd's are higher accuracy epd's based on genetic study of the DNA. A registered calf that has no progeny will have their main epd's with about a 20% accuracy. Doing the DNA work will increase the accuracy to about 40%. Equal to the accuracy that would require about 20 to 25 progeny without DNA. Parentage verification and enhanced epd's are required for bulls entered in most bull performance tests, but useful for a breeding program.

I suspect that @Mountaintown Creek Ranch does it for the marbling classification as well.
 
I use the TSUs like you said very quick and easy to take samples. I began with blood cards but had some issues with contamination of the samples chute side. With TSUs I'll take the sample usually at first vaccination and ear tagging time.
 
I use DNA for parentage verification and for enhanced epd's. When tests are done on registered cattle, a percentage come back as incorrect parentage. AI programs may AI and then turn out with a cleanup bull and try to figure out which bull sired the calf. Some cows have been known to switch calves. Some may be intentional by the breeder or just sloppy record keeping. Enhanced epd's are higher accuracy epd's based on genetic study of the DNA. A registered calf that has no progeny will have their main epd's with about a 20% accuracy. Doing the DNA work will increase the accuracy to about 40%. Equal to the accuracy that would require about 20 to 25 progeny without DNA. Parentage verification and enhanced epd's are required for bulls entered in most bull performance tests, but useful for a breeding program.

I suspect that @Mountaintown Creek Ranch does it for the marbling classification as well.
The DNA is used for registration to confirm the parents. We also go ahead and have the SCD and tenderness ran.
We do not run for any genetic defects because we do not have any in our cattle and we don't introduce any new cattle. We only AI so we already know that all of our straws have no genetic defects.
 
I like the TSUs. I periodically need to do one for any calf produced by a purchased set of embryos. If the embryo is produced by MY cow, I do not need to DNA test,
ASA offered a cheap cost if you did your whole herd. So I did my herd. Out of about 60 animals, only 1 had wrong sire - a purchased animal. She was sired by a pasture bull.
 
I've looked into TSU's but so far I'm sticking to pulling hair as it works well for me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, my understanding is you can get them to apply the EID tag at the same time as it takes the sample in the one action.

I have been doing genomics and parent verification on all my retained heifers and bulls I use since it first came out and so far all have been correct. I thought I might have slipped up a bit last year but all verified OK.
 
I've looked into TSU's but so far I'm sticking to pulling hair as it works well for me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, my understanding is you can get them to apply the EID tag at the same time as it takes the sample in the one action.

I have been doing genomics and parent verification on all my retained heifers and bulls I use since it first came out and so far all have been correct. I thought I might have slipped up a bit last year but all verified OK.
Not sure on the EID as it isn't a part of TSU.
I like the SCD fat profile and the tenderness results because it's been dead on accurate. Good tenderness (7-8) and AA fat, you know your going get great steak.
 
We have used the TSU's for the last 3 years. So much easier than drawing blood- and many of the labs don't want tail hair anymore. And as long as they are kept cool or frozen, I understand the samples will last for sometime. Lazy Bar B Angus.
 

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