Hereford76
Well-known member
Testing Your Herd For The Leptin Gene
By Kurt Gilmore
Since the inception of performance records some decades ago, registered Hereford breeders have continued to strive to provide their bull buyers with additional information in order to satisfy their requests for certain selection data. Things like scrotal circumference, weight per day of age, birth weight, actual weight at all stages of an animal’s growth and more recently, EPDs for a variety of genetic traits and, even more recently, ultra sound carcass data.
Today, there is a rapidly growing need for genetic information in regard to whether or not an animal’s DNA makeup includes a mutated version of the Leptin Gene. According to University of Saskatchewan Genetic Research, cattle with normal Leptin (designated cc) do not have the enhanced advantage for feed efficiency and carcass merit as do those cattle who carry a mutated form of the Leptin Gene, either in a combined form (designated ct) or as a homozygous mutated gene (tt). In fact, normal Leptin can work against an animal’s ability to feed more efficiently and lay on fat. The normal hormone actually depresses an animal’s appetite as the percentage of fat on an animal increases. Cattle with the mutated form of Leptin have slower metabolism and tend to eat more.
All this information has been well documented for some time, but recent feedlot tests indicate that some pens of cattle can have a nearly 30-day advantage in going to slaughter if they come from bulls carrying the tt Leptin Gene. Decreased death loss, feed and labour costs and faster cash flow mean that this trait is going to be extremely important to the feedlot industry and, in fact, many of those lots are currently offering a premium for calves that can be guaranteed to be sired by tt bulls.
Commercial cattlemen are rapidly going to become interested in purchasing bulls that have been tested for this gene and it is imperative that registered breeders be prepared to offer that information and the sooner the better. Quantum Genetics Canada Inc. (QGC) is making available Leptin testing kits to commercial and purebred cattle producers at an introductory rate of $15 per head until February 2008. Commercial cattlemen will more than likely be testing their bulls as soon as it becomes obvious that some major feedlots this fall will be willing to pay more for calves carrying the tt genetic advantage. At this introductory rate, purebred breeders would be wise to test all of their cattle. By pulling hair on the cows and herd bulls, as well as those bulls offered for sale, a breeder will very quickly gain the advantage of making selected mating decisions to enhance the value of their cattle and provide information to their customers that will result in a distinct and positive economic influence for all those involved……
Has anyone done this testing. Making plans to test this fall.
By Kurt Gilmore
Since the inception of performance records some decades ago, registered Hereford breeders have continued to strive to provide their bull buyers with additional information in order to satisfy their requests for certain selection data. Things like scrotal circumference, weight per day of age, birth weight, actual weight at all stages of an animal’s growth and more recently, EPDs for a variety of genetic traits and, even more recently, ultra sound carcass data.
Today, there is a rapidly growing need for genetic information in regard to whether or not an animal’s DNA makeup includes a mutated version of the Leptin Gene. According to University of Saskatchewan Genetic Research, cattle with normal Leptin (designated cc) do not have the enhanced advantage for feed efficiency and carcass merit as do those cattle who carry a mutated form of the Leptin Gene, either in a combined form (designated ct) or as a homozygous mutated gene (tt). In fact, normal Leptin can work against an animal’s ability to feed more efficiently and lay on fat. The normal hormone actually depresses an animal’s appetite as the percentage of fat on an animal increases. Cattle with the mutated form of Leptin have slower metabolism and tend to eat more.
All this information has been well documented for some time, but recent feedlot tests indicate that some pens of cattle can have a nearly 30-day advantage in going to slaughter if they come from bulls carrying the tt Leptin Gene. Decreased death loss, feed and labour costs and faster cash flow mean that this trait is going to be extremely important to the feedlot industry and, in fact, many of those lots are currently offering a premium for calves that can be guaranteed to be sired by tt bulls.
Commercial cattlemen are rapidly going to become interested in purchasing bulls that have been tested for this gene and it is imperative that registered breeders be prepared to offer that information and the sooner the better. Quantum Genetics Canada Inc. (QGC) is making available Leptin testing kits to commercial and purebred cattle producers at an introductory rate of $15 per head until February 2008. Commercial cattlemen will more than likely be testing their bulls as soon as it becomes obvious that some major feedlots this fall will be willing to pay more for calves carrying the tt genetic advantage. At this introductory rate, purebred breeders would be wise to test all of their cattle. By pulling hair on the cows and herd bulls, as well as those bulls offered for sale, a breeder will very quickly gain the advantage of making selected mating decisions to enhance the value of their cattle and provide information to their customers that will result in a distinct and positive economic influence for all those involved……
Has anyone done this testing. Making plans to test this fall.