I have done a search and still not sure if as a commercial breeder I should be concerned about this. In almost every catalog I've looked at there has been at least a few that are OHP carriers. I would like the opinion of the Angus breeders on this forum whether I should be concerned about it or not. At least 2 of the bulls I picked in an upcoming sale are both OHP.
OHP in Angus
- Thread starter elkwc
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Son of Butch
Well-known member
Of all the identified carrier traits ohp is of the least concern.
Son of Butch":tutnryjt said:
Thanks for the reply. After my search I didn't see it as a big concern for a commercial breeder if I understood what I read. So wanted an opinion from someone to verify my thoughts. Sure seeing several in the sales with it.
WalnutCrest
Well-known member
There are lots of good bulls out there.
Why buy any w/ a known issue?
Why buy any w/ a known issue?
WalnutCrest":31dv7i4j said:
It is obvious you live somewhere besides where I do. Too many of the Angus are the result of breeding for the smallest calf possible. They have lost their muscling and frame size. We have used too many of the marginal frame bulls and this time have to have some frame to add some back. The Balancer experiment added to the loss of frame size. It seems when you find one that will work that there is a 50% chance they have something. I will just see what happens. A lot of sales in the next month around here. The one bull with OHP is among the top 3 bulls I've seen in the last year. So was looking at my options and the possible consequences if I do decide to bid on him.
WalnutCrest
Well-known member
Good luck to you.
76 Bar
Well-known member
All due respects but RDC is without question, of least concern.
Just an update. None of the genetic defects seemed to hurt the value of the bulls. Seems that many buyers are searching now for that Angus bull with frame and muscling along with being structurally sound and correct. And when they find him they are going to buy him regardless of anything else. I marked 12 bulls out of 92 that fit my criteria. All went from 5,500-10,000 an I had set an upper limit of 5,000 unless I was tied. So came home empty. The 92 bulls averaged just over $4,900. There are a lot of bulls out there yet and we are in no hurry. These were very nice bulls. I have found some nice looking from the pics Polled Herefords I want to go look at also. They don't have any trace of Titan in their background so fit my requirement there. The ligher muscled bulls with frame size under 5.5 were cheaper. Many of these were calving ease. Seems the calving ease bulls weren't in as much demand. Some of the bulls I marked had higher BW and bad CE scores but it sure didn't hurt their value any. Like I stated in a previous post and yesterday confirmed finding a good Angus with good width, frame 5,5-6 and structurally sound is hard around here and when you do they are in high demand.
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
Your not looking in the right places for bulls. We have a evaluation sale next week and there will be a lot of good Angus bulls that sell very reasonable. With the use of AI and ET you can find the same quality of bull anywhere, just a lot better prices here in the southeast.
True Grit Farms":3onqjw9c said:
You are just a long ways from us. Like I told Gizmom if she was closer I'd be trying to make a deal with her. But here too many went to far in the CE and moderation effort and lost muscling and frame size. Those who have it or who have corrected course have a strong demand for their bulls while the others are still trying to catch up.
Just so you know OH is a pigmentation defect. When the AAA lists a bull OHP it means said animal is a potential carrier by pedigree. There are very very few actual carriers of this pigmentation defect that causes calves to have a red tint.
The other breed associations would do well to list their potential carriers like the AAA as they have many lethal defects that they are passing off o. Unsuspecting commercial customers. Hint the AHA needs to wake up and clean up their IE mess.
The other breed associations would do well to list their potential carriers like the AAA as they have many lethal defects that they are passing off o. Unsuspecting commercial customers. Hint the AHA needs to wake up and clean up their IE mess.
W.B.":15cnfov6 said:
It will never happen. I've been told they have by those who drink the kool aid. They don't want to admit they have an issue or any impurities in the breed. As a commercial breeder you have to do your own research to find if an animal is a carrier.
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
elkwc":802b0njv said:
Or just quit using the breed all together. That's what we've done, my cattle need to look and grow out like what I'm expecting. It's hard to believe how much your bull choices play into building your herd.
It is a sad deal for sure. Last breeding season was first year in 70 years that a Hereford bull didn't run on this operation. I don't have the time to look 7 to 10 generations deep in every pedigree to see if there is a potential carrier lurking. The AHA doesn't even know which animals have or have not been tested. We had a couple if IE calves two years ago that the association wouldn't test because they weren't registered. I guess denial is easier than admittance.
W.B.":2opkxdyc said:
If a person still wants to go Hereford the best choices are to go to one of the long term line breeders or an L1 breeder who you trust. I've seen no issues with them. The bull I purchased Tuesday has Titan lurking in thje background. Time will tell. I did a quick search before I bought him and I didn't go back far enough. His maternal side is good and there are many paternal half brothers to him so have to hope that is a good sign as most Herefords today in our area are being used in a cross breed situation.
For those that don't know IE stands for idieopathic epilepsy and it originated in the L1 gene pool. It is a simple recessive and there is a dna test for the defect. The affected calves we had here lived 14 to 30 days and lived a pretty miserable life until that point. I will say buyer be aware.
