Thinking of "Unregistering" A Few--Advice?

[SPH]

Once again you've made another incorrect assumption. The Hereford breed absolutely has had issues with recessive genetic conditions. If you want to register calves out of any Hereford bull or flush a cow for ET you are required to DNA test for Hypotrichosis, Dilutor, and Idiopathic Epilepsy.

I don't consider it scaremongering or hysteria to have the mindset that reproducing genetic defects should be avoided where possible. Again, you are entitled to your own opinion as I am mine but defect free cattle is going to have more value to both you and your customers than the continued use and replication of the genetics that are carriers of a genetic defect.

Am I reading this right, that every registered Hereford must be DNA tested regardless of whether there is any cause for concern in the pedigree?

DNA testing for parentage and defects is required on all bulls that will have purebred calves registered by him or cows that will be ET donors. So basically if you are going to use a Hereford bull in a purebred operation and want to register calves sired by him he must be DNA tested. Many guys now who sell bulls are just going ahead and DNA testing prior to selling regardless who is buying them which I think those who are doing that are smart for doing so as it takes a lot of the risk and guesswork out of potentially selling a bull who is a carrier or flushing a cow that is. I wouldn't be surprised if the testing requirements are eventually expanded in the future. When this requirement was first implemented it created a backlog of tests with the lab they were using so getting test results were taking awhile but now you get the results back within about a week or so it seems like.

 

[boondocks]

DNA testing for parentage and defects is required on all bulls that will have purebred calves registered by him or cows that will be ET donors. So basically if you are going to use a Hereford bull in a purebred operation and want to register calves sired by him he must be DNA tested. Many guys now who sell bulls are just going ahead and DNA testing prior to selling regardless who is buying them which I think those who are doing that are smart for doing so as it takes a lot of the risk and guesswork out of potentially selling a bull who is a carrier or flushing a cow that is. I wouldn't be surprised if the testing requirements are eventually expanded in the future. When this requirement was first implemented it created a backlog of tests with the lab they were using so getting test results were taking awhile but now you get the results back within about a week or so it seems like.

Got it. I thought you meant all calves needed tested even if there was nothing in their pedigree of concern. Angus bulls (registered stock) are also tested and can't be used if they have one of the listed defects.

I hope someone somewhere keeps a few of these "defective" animals around. We may later find they have an adaptation we need, e.g., when the zombie apocalypse comes. Did you know that people who are sickle cell carriers have a protective advantage against malaria? https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biolo ... _cell.html. And about 10% of Europeans are immune to HIV due to genetic mutations (which are believed to have been "conserved" due to having protected their "owners" during the centuries of European plagues: in other words, people with those variations had greater survival rates during the plagues, and passed the mutation down to their descendants, who enjoy greater immunity to HIV today): if I'm following his correctly: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 234239.htm

 

[Nesikep]

DNA testing for parentage and defects is required on all bulls that will have purebred calves registered by him or cows that will be ET donors. So basically if you are going to use a Hereford bull in a purebred operation and want to register calves sired by him he must be DNA tested. Many guys now who sell bulls are just going ahead and DNA testing prior to selling regardless who is buying them which I think those who are doing that are smart for doing so as it takes a lot of the risk and guesswork out of potentially selling a bull who is a carrier or flushing a cow that is. I wouldn't be surprised if the testing requirements are eventually expanded in the future. When this requirement was first implemented it created a backlog of tests with the lab they were using so getting test results were taking awhile but now you get the results back within about a week or so it seems like.

Got it. I thought you meant all calves needed tested even if there was nothing in their pedigree of concern. Angus bulls (registered stock) are also tested and can't be used if they have one of the listed defects.

I hope someone somewhere keeps a few of these "defective" animals around. We may later find they have an adaptation we need, e.g., when the zombie apocalypse comes. Did you know that people who are sickle cell carriers have a protective advantage against malaria? https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biolo ... _cell.html. And about 10% of Europeans are immune to HIV due to genetic mutations (which are believed to have been "conserved" due to having protected their "owners" during the centuries of European plagues: in other words, people with those variations had greater survival rates during the plagues, and passed the mutation down to their descendants, who enjoy greater immunity to HIV today): if I'm following his correctly: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 234239.htm

You do make a good point.. though I don't know about deliberately keeping known defects around for unknown benefits, I think the general idea of a wide genetic base is a good idea.. and these AI bulls that have sired 100,000 offspring aren't doing genetic diversity any good... Maybe that day will never come, maybe it'll be next year, but typically extremely specific adaptations are also least capable of change

 

[boondocks]

You do make a good point.. though I don't know about deliberately keeping known defects around for unknown benefits, I think the general idea of a wide genetic base is a good idea.. and these AI bulls that have sired 100,000 offspring aren't doing genetic diversity any good... Maybe that day will never come, maybe it'll be next year, but typically extremely specific adaptations are also least capable of change

Have you heard of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_ ... Seed_Vault
I've been interested in in for a while

 

[dun]

Interesting concept, first heard about it 10 years or so ago. Not something that moat people are generally aware of.

 

[Nesikep]

Yes, I have heard of it but didn't research it much.. the problem with that seed bank seems to be that it is just like a safety deposit box at a bank.. the seeds are the property of the depositor. So in some global Armageddon when governments and corporations go extinct (a nice rosey thought), how are those seeds going to be handled? Can no one remove them from the vault? Sold to highest bidder? NOTHING?

 

[boondocks]

Yes, I have heard of it but didn't research it much.. the problem with that seed bank seems to be that it is just like a safety deposit box at a bank.. the seeds are the property of the depositor. So in some global Armageddon when governments and corporations go extinct (a nice rosey thought), how are those seeds going to be handled? Can no one remove them from the vault? Sold to highest bidder? NOTHING?

Good point. I don't know. But at least if there ARE seeds, someone with a profit motive will likely end up with them and hopefully we won't ALL starve...

 

[Nesikep]

Yes, I have heard of it but didn't research it much.. the problem with that seed bank seems to be that it is just like a safety deposit box at a bank.. the seeds are the property of the depositor. So in some global Armageddon when governments and corporations go extinct (a nice rosey thought), how are those seeds going to be handled? Can no one remove them from the vault? Sold to highest bidder? NOTHING?

Good point. I don't know. But at least if there ARE seeds, someone with a profit motive will likely end up with them and hopefully we won't ALL starve...

well.. All of US will be left to starve.. it'll be up to us to prevent that on our own.

I'd rather eat steak than lettuce anyhow