Genetic Testing—Why, Where, and How

 

If you have not already done genetic testing on your cattle, there are a variety of reasons to do different types of genetic tests:

  1. Know before breeding season if any of your cows and bulls/semen are carriers for the genetic defects of TH (Tibial Hemimelia), PHA (Pulmonary Hypoplasia with Anasarca), DS (Digital Subluxation), or Myo (Myostatin complex), because a homozygous offspring can be malformed or suffer a shortened lifespan.

  2. If you want or don’t want horned cattle, test for the Horned/Polled gene to find out homozygous polled vs heterozygous before making a mating selection.

  3. A2/A2 (milk protein) heifers/cows are in high demand as family milk cows or for small grass fed dairies and micro dairies. They can often be sold at a higher price than A1/A1 or A1/A2 cattle. Semen from A2/A2 bulls may also be worth more to particular breeders.

  4. To establish DNA identification markers on bulls so that a questionable offspring can be accurately identified as sired or not sired by a particular bull.

  5. HSS requires the parents of all IVF calves to have Parentage DNA markers on file with the HSS office to be registered.

  6. If free of genetic defects, this documented information can be added into the HSS Registry database and also incorporated into HSS Registration papers on your cattle by sending a copy of the test results to the HSS office.

  7. Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs), which are not evaluated by the Heritage Shorthorn Society or incorporated into the HSS database, are also available through Neogen (see below).

There are a number of companies which do genetic testing, but most Shorthorn genetic tests are done through Neogen (formerly called Igenity). They have a website (Neogen.com) and can also be contacted by calling 402-435-0665. They have a smorgasbord of individual tests and also packages covering multiple tests. Their tests are not designed to look at historical heritage lineage, but rather to document traits and markers in current cattle.

For testing, you need to set up an account with Neogen, decide which tests you would like to have run, and then send them well-labeled samples from your cattle in the kits which they provide. Submitted samples from your cattle can be: blood, semen, hair roots, or small tissue samples.