Hard to believe Hypotrichosis

[Alan]

Some of you know I posted a couple of threads on the beginners board about a baldish calve born yesterday. Since then speaking with a Vet and doing some research I'm having a hard time believing it could be hypotrichosis.

First off the AHA only list 19 head of cattle to be confirmed carriers, which I have none in the first 4 generations of the sire or dam. Hypotrichosis is a recessive gene, meaning both the dam and sire need to be carriers to have it show up.

Through the generations it seems that this gene would continue to be bred out of the Hereford breed, thus reducing the chances of hypotricosis showing up.

I'm not saying it is not impossible to have it show up, just should be getting more unlikely through the generations. There is a test to see if it is hypotrichosis, which I'll have done.

Can the calf just simply have thin hair right now? does this happen?

Thanks for all input.
Alan

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

There can be MANY blood lines that carry the RESESSIVE gene and no one would know. Unless the breeders have a problem, cattle are not DNA checked. You might be one of the unlucky ones that both sire & dam matched up with the two resessive genes passed on to the offspring.
Look at the Angus breed - after all these years, and red calves still show up - out of dams & sires that breeders didn't know carried the resessive red gene.
Glad to hear you plan on testing. That is what a responsible breeder will do. If it's positive, you will know that both dam & sire are carriers.