Fescue Genetic Test

[Aero]

Anybody have an informed opinion on this test?

agbotanica.com - agbotanica Resources and Information.

agbotanica.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, agbotanica.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.agbotanica.com

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Interesting. Are you going to stick around to discuss?

 

[Aero]

Interesting. Are you going to stick around to discuss?

That's the intention but who knows what life brings...? Have I abandoned you before during discussion?

 

[kenny thomas]

Do you have any costs of the tests

 

[Aero]

Do you have any costs of the tests

Website says $29 but I can't get a response from the website.

 

[kenny thomas]

Website says $29 but I can't get a response from the website.

Thank you

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

That's the intention but who knows what life brings...? Have I abandoned you before during discussion?

No you haven't but I honestly can't recall seeing you in the past. Pleased to meet you now.

 

[FungusProudKY31]

I'll likely stick to the practical observations/Bonsma type evaluations here. Slick hair, adequate growth, short calving periods, ... and I'll save $29/head. A 46 or 47 day calving season is good enough for me.

 

[JParrott]

Seems like it could be a decent process to implement into a program. Maybe a good selling point for people in fescue country. I'd probably pay a little more for heifers or younger cows if I had this information on them however, I almost exclusively grow and maintain my herd internally. I rarely buy cows or heifers from outside; mainly stick to changing bulls.

For now, I manage my susceptible cattle through culling seeing as the effects of toxicosis don't seem to really show up until cows are 6 years old or so (in my experience). It might add some value by being able to identify this trait in heifers I want to keep instead of waiting a few years to see if it shows up.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Raise your own cattle on fescue, and nature will weed out the culls.

Or just raise corrientes, because ah, they are like the, best.
[h3][/h3]

 

[kenny thomas]

Raise your own cattle on fescue, and nature will weed out the culls.

Or just raise corrientes, because ah, they are like the, best.
[h3][/h3]

You are partially correct. I have culled in the past because of this. It's easier to match the cow to the environment than to match the environment to the cow.
Never seen a longhorn or Corriente with fescue problems. Maybe you hit onto something.

 

[Aero]

I did get a response from AgBotanica and it appears the test is available but not yet integrated into an easy system for ease of use. The samples are processed by Neogen and results are sent to AgBotanica for interpretation and reporting to the customer. They readily conceded the website needed some work but that it is functional.

 

[Aero]

I agree on the cull from your own closed herd and it shouldnt be an issue. We have to bring in cows at some point and this seems to have merit if you aren't sure of the management those cattle were under or if they are coming in from outside of fescue country. Seems like it could prevent a lot of problems when starting a herd.

 

[wbvs58]

It could be a usefull marketing strategy when selling bulls into fescue country.

Ken

 

[BFE]

You are partially correct. I have culled in the past because of this. It's easier to match the cow to the environment than to match the environment to the cow.
Never seen a longhorn or Corriente with fescue problems. Maybe you hit onto something.

Never seen a deer with fescue problems either. They probably gain like a corriente.

 

[FungusProudKY31]

Never seen a deer with fescue problems either. They probably gain like a corriente.

They are not forced to eat a diet that is a high % fescue.

 

[FungusProudKY31]

It could be a usefull marketing strategy when selling bulls into fescue country.

Ken

You'd think. But bull buyers often still want the big name sire, the modern bull of the month, ... in spite of what they see on the ground.

 

[FungusProudKY31]

I agree on the cull from your own closed herd and it shouldnt be an issue. We have to bring in cows at some point and this seems to have merit if you aren't sure of the management those cattle were under or if they are coming in from outside of fescue country. Seems like it could prevent a lot of problems when starting a herd.

Bringing in cattle is always a low % success rate if you are 100% honest. The best thing to know is if they shed off quickly in the spring. There are some exceptions. The best option is to AI to selected bulls and let gestational programing help the calves fit. But what I have found is the 25% influence of an outside source and two gestational programing events make the best of the introductions.

 

[Lucky_P]

While deer will graze stuff like winter rye/wheat/ryegrass/clovers/brassicas, they are primarily browsers, and probably don't eat much fescue, even if it's 99% of what's growing in someone's pastures.
Leaves, buds, tender twigs, berries/fruits/seeds are on the menu for the hooved rats.

 

[BFE]

Sometimes you all take things too literally. The point was the rate of gain, maybe we should crossbreed with deer since they're easy keepers.

Waiting for someone to tell me that deer and cattle won't crossbreed....