GeneStar Tenderness test

[Anonymous]

Hello all you cow people out there.

Tenderness has been a buzz word for a while now, and with the new test out, I was currious about how many of the producers out there have used this $85 dollar test, (per animal), if just for sires you have semen available on. After reviewing much of the published research data, I have seen that even cattle that are homozygous for the desirable gene will cut 8% of the time with a tough carcass. So my question is, is it really worth paying an over inflated price for a test that is at best inconculsive for an end product result. And, if color plays no part in the tenderness factor, why do we need to DNA test to identify coat color, as an added value marketing scheme, when you don't eat the hide, and they all look near the same with their skin off.

A very sticky situation, when it is only the DNA labs makeing the $$$, not the beef producer, we can select for all the traits we want to, but until we start realizing a profit from our efforts where is the incentive?

DNA for Coat color $45. DNA for Marbling $85 DNA for Tenderness $85 No DNA for Polled ? DNA for ET calves $35-45 Ultrasound $12-19 Bennefit to producer $0 Cost of Dehorning $4-75 Usefullness to Consumer ?

Not Priceless

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[Anonymous]

I am not familiar with this DNA test. I know that as a whole we do not DNA test because of the cost. Do you know where I could get more information on this?

Brian.



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[Anonymous]

Michelle,

Genestar tests only identify one alle or marker that is possible associated with the trait being measured. I did the marbling test on 2 of my herd bulls, both were one star. Then I got the carcass epds back, one was above average and one was below. The genestar information was worthless.

DNA for et calves is very important to assure no mix ups during the et process, and I fully support the DNA for all sires of calves to assure parentage.

DNA for hide color is only applicable to breeds trying to go solid color, or black, and has economic impact as solid colors are selling better whether they are better or not.

Horns cost the industry millions each year through bruising and labor costs to de-horn, but making crossbred cattle polled is as easy as using an Angus bull. Cost to de-horn calves using paste would be minimal, and the benefit is reduced bruising and dockage at sale time.

Ultrasound is very cost effective. Although it is very difficult to see a direct return right now, building a consistant database of ultrasound identifying cattle that yield more profitable caracsses, will pay huge dividends. The problem is this is a slow process and most breeders want the instant bang. True genetic progress doesn't happen overnight. We are into our third year of ultrasounding and are still not to the point of making any culling decisions based on ultrasound, although we consider what numbers we have at each mating.

If you want to finish off the reference to the commercial, add Breeder Integrity.......Priceless!

Jason Trowbridge Southern Angus Farms Alberta Canada



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[Anonymous]

Brian, if you type in Tenderness gene, into the Yahoo serch engine you will be led to the many site that talk about this, there is only one web site with all the info <A HREF="http://www.geneticsolutions.com" TARGET="_blank">www.geneticsolutions.com</A>, they sell the GeneStar tests.



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[Anonymous]

I totally agree with all of that, we have been doing ultrasound testing for the past 6 years, on both AI sired calves, calves from out ET program and our natural service sires. I have seen no cost benefit from a production and sales stand point, but in terms of helping select females for retention, I have beed selecting females with higher marbling characteristics, many are not quite as pretty as the Show type females, but they are very fertile, well made females, and if in the future I will be able to make more due to long term planning I will be that much further ahead of the game. I agree, removal of horns is the best way to go, preferably geneticly, but the other methods work too, I just wish we could see more people getting it done more agressively, so there would be no meat loss due to bruising, or people being injured by the wayward passing horn. What I did notice from the research data, was that Shorthorn cattle are the highest indexing trait carriers for the homozygous tenderness genes, I knew I liked them for a reason, other than the fact they are nice to look at. I am a Limi breeder, considering the costs & benefits of testing a battery of bulls for tenderness.

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[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

<A HREF="http://www.geneticsolutions.com.au/content/genestar_standard.asp?name=News_Articles" TARGET="_blank">http://www.geneticsolutions.com.au/content/genestar_standard.asp?name=News_Articles</A>

This is a rather long link, but this is the correct link

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