When to test?

[ittybittyfarm]

Excuse the newbie question here...when should I test my herd? Can I pull hairs on a newborn calf or should I wait a week? Is there ever a time when it's too late to test?

I want to have the entire herd (that should number three this summer!) tested at the same time...is that a good idea, or is it better to just do one at a time? My matriarchal cow is 5 years old...

[hollydzie]

You can test at any age or time. When I found out that my Dexters and never been test for anything. I started with my oldest girl, she was 10 yrs old. Then I worked my way through my small herd.

The bull was the hardest because he was not a very nice guy, and had been living at a friends. It was no fun getting the hair from him, but we figured it out.

We just had a calf born here 3 weeks ago. I took the hairs from her when she was just a few days old. That was super easy.

I did mine separate because of the cost, I did the ones I felt most important first. Now everyone is done and when we have a calf we just get it right out of the way.

Hope that helps

Holly

[jamshundred]

Hi Itty Bitty,

It is never to early and it is absolutely never too late. ( Lets get those OLD cows in the Legacy Dexter "Forever" Database at UCD)!

Pulling tail hairs from a new calf is usually a challenge. . . . difficult to get a good hold on the hair so I've found that a pair of long needle nose pliers is a great tool for doing this. You can grab a clump of hair and jerk upwards ( really gets good roots for the DNA extraction) and put them in an envelope. Done!

For large herds I suggest typing the herd bull and the oldest cows first.
This gives yoiu an opportunity to determine if obligate status will exist for their offspring for tests like Chondro, PHA, and A2.

If your herd has various sires and/or dam breeding pairs, starting with the older animals is still a good idea.

It is always a good idea to archive tail hairs on all your animals. Although sample is archived for you at UCD, as this sample is used for current testing or even future testing, it can be depleted. Having archived samples in your files is always a good idea.

Judy

[ittybittyfarm]

Thank you all for the help...Judy, when you say archive do you mean to store some at home in a file? Or do they have to be stored in a specific way to maintain viability? It sure sounds like a great idea.

[hollydzie]

To store them at home use a paper type envelope and label it. Use a separate one for each animal. Keep in a dry place in your home. I have a notebook with pockets that I keep the envelopes in, in my desk file.

Don't use plastic baggies as it can build moisture and could compromise your samples.

Hope that helps
Holly

[jamshundred]

Holly is correct and that is excellent information from her!

Always use a paper product for storing . . I too use just regular envelopes, put the identification information on the outside.

Judy