PHA Stats - UCD-VGL

[sharethelegacy]

To date the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory - UCD has tested 850 Dexter cattle for PHA and of that number there are 80 reported as carriers of the PHA defect.

[cddexter]

Hi Judy, I'm not sure I'm following. What's 'reported' mean in this context? I guess I'm trying to say, reported where and from what test group?

Interesting info, I'm just not able to figure out in which way you are using 'reported'.

Thanks. c.

[Dahdo]

Are there statistics available for any other tests? Are they somewhere where they can be accessed by the general public?

[jamshundred]

Carol,

I am using the term "reported" to mean samples were sent in for testing and there were results that were "reported" to the owners.

This is a skewed statistic. The early tests ran by Dr. Beever and Igenity included animals that were known to have had affected calves and immediate descendents of Xanadu. I bet those stats have a much higher percentage of positive results. UCD does considerable testing of lines that are not at risk of PHA based on pedigree - as there are a number of breeders who want the non-carrier status confirmed and in writing!

Dave - I was getting the A2 stats from the A2 Corp. If anyone is interested I can get them again - but there did not seem to be much interest. These are not normally published. I asked for them from UCD as I was curious as to what percentage of their tests were carriers. I recently had a cow pop up as a carrier that I had never tested. She was out on loan for a milk cow for a couple of years, bred by her son, and had a beautiful very traditional bull calf that I planned to keep/sell. I sell very few bulls. I was looking at the pedigree of the mother and spotted an earlier carrier in her line so decided to test her and was really surprised to discover she is a carrier. She is such a sweet and passive cow from an early mid-west breeder. It turned out the son that bred the mother while she was out on loan was a carrier too! I was sick. How could my beautiful little baby bull escape that whammy? He did. Both Dad and Mom threw the non-carrier genes. Got real lucky! Sire was butchered. I am not going to kill the cow. I have decided to find her an adoptive home with someone who wants a Dexter of their own, and allow them to keep non-carrier calves to breed or sell and butcher carriers giving me some meat for the first couple that are butchered and let someone own and build a herd with the non-carriers.

I think there are good solutions for carrier cows though many breeders do not want to deal with their carrier status.

Judy

[cddexter]

Hi Judy, I don't feel a lot further ahead...so

Do the stats you posted represent
1. results from those tests done through your database
2. all results from all Dexter pha tests done at UCD, not just those done through your database

I can understand people wanting something better than exclusion through non-inheritance, but it just seems the number of carriers is really small. Maybe there are just too many people out there who don't want to know so haven't tested?

cheers, c.

[cddexter]

Gene, I don't think Judy needs rescuing. Judy is always on about how private the info is. I don't mind if UCD tells her how many Dexter pha tests have been done and what the totals are. I was genuinely curious about what comprised the stats. Her reply to me was vague. Yours doesn't clarify it either. I look forward to hearing from the source....cheers, c.

[jamshundred]

Carol - - - The statistics were based on total tests at UCD for PHA.
Neither the post nor the comment was "vague". I asked the Legacy contact at UCD if it was possible to get an overall count of tests that have been performed for PHA and the number of carriers reported and the exact information I posted on this forum is what was sent to me. I do not know the names of the owners who ordered the tests, nor the names of the Dexters. Just that there were 850 tests performed and 80 carriers reported to the person(s) ordering the tests. Does that clarify?

Yes. .. the percentage of carriers is small. I commented on the fact that the results are "skewed" because most of the earlier testing done with Igenity or Dr. Beever were for animals known to have had carrier calves as well as the breeders whose herds were known to have PHA issues, and animals considered most at risk. I am confident the results at those two labs had a much higher rate of carrier status.

Judy

[cddexter]

Thanks, Judy. I now get it. Not just stuff through you, but any and all pha testing done through ucd. cheers, c.

[Deleted]

I understand why many breeders wouldn't want their PHA results known.

It's the stigma that surrounds PHA and the lasting comments "oh that herd / bloodline is full of PHA".
Oh not to mention the 'Chinese whispers' also.

We, as a stud, have already had comments about the bloodlines we have chosen to buy, and to close our herd with regarding PHA.

The comments were from new to the breed studs who had listened to comments made by longer term studs which once I clarified and backed it up with pointed links to the Internet, as well as the test results of all those in our herd, were the comments then retracted with a nod of the head in understanding.

But those same comments are still drifting around in the Australian Dexter world which is a shame.

I am happy to read of your handling of your PHA cow Judy. I think that's the way it should have always been.

Testing shouldn't have caused such a reaction of culling every Dexter who was a carrier or worse, branding every single descendent or that bloodline as PHA carriers.

Instead, testing should have enlightened Dexter breeders to an out-of-sight 'weakness' which should / and can be managed through knowledgable breeding practices - hanging onto the desirable traits to continue in our overall goal of bettering the breed:to breed that perfect Dexter.

It's a shame that many breeders couldn't take this stance. I wish there wasn't such ignorance or knee-jerk reactions around PHA.

Then maybe all breeders would be happy to not only test for PHA, but to announce their results and their paths taken to breed non-carriers.

But us humans have always and no doubt, will continue to have knee-jerk reactions to what we feel is imperfections.