Important Update on Testing, Fall 2014 Dexter Bulletin

[zephyrhillsusan]

Yes, I would like to add my thanks to the Board of Directors! And thanks to all of you who called and emailed your regional directors--you have helped effectuate grassroots change.

NOW, get on those computers and come up with some suggestions and send them to your area reps!

I want to state publicly that I totally support the move toward full Sire and Dam Qualification (parentage verification). I just think they need to find a better way to do it than the proposed system.

As long as the BoD is talking parent verification, one very important related issue I am going to urge the Board to deal with is the issue that has resulted because of using two labs. While I am very glad that we can now use VGL (and I do), people are ending up trying to PV calves with the sire at one lab and the dam at the other. This is NOT adequate for full parentage verification. ALL THREE ANIMALS--SIRE, DAM & CALF--MUST BE COMPARED AT THE SAME LAB AT THE SAME TIME to "Sire & Dam Qualify."  You need a piece of paper from TAMU that states "Sire Qualifies, Dam Qualifies" or a piece of paper from VGL that states "Calf C qualifies as the offspring of Sire A and Dam B" (or something similar).  Members of this very board have found this out the hard way.

Question for discussion: Is there any reason that we couldn't stick with the current system for the online pedigrees with these possible outcomes:

Polled: No, Yes
Color: Black, Red, Dun
Chondrodysplasia: Untested (alternatively, No results on file), Carrier, Non-carrier, Non-carrier by PV
PHA: Untested (or No results on file), Carrier, Non-carrier, Non-carrier by PV
Parentage DNA: Untested (or No results on file), Genotype on file, Sire Qualifies, Dam Qualifies, Sire and Dam Qualify.  

(On this last one, I suppose there is the slight possibility that someone could have their calf sire qualified at one lab and dam qualified at another lab--and be unable to proceed any farther to "Sire and Dam Qualify" if a breeder refused to share a Case Number, for example.  I suppose in that case, their calf could be listed as "Sire Qualifies, Dam Qualifies," but that would get pretty confusing.  Does anyone have any suggestions for such a scenario or think it could even happen?)  

[bapetteway]

Special Announcement To All
ADCA Members

Over the past week, there has been significant concern expressed from all regions regarding the potential consequences of the implementation of our new registry system (see page 8 of the Fall 2014 Bulletin) planned for January 1, 2015. To address these concerns, a special Board of Directors (BOD) conference call was held on November 30, 2014. During this conference, the BOD unanimously voted to postpone the rollout of the new registry system until after the 2015 AGM. This postponement affords members additional time to provide input to their respective regional directors to help refine the registration system and for us to communicate our plan to transition to a parentage verified registry.

Our transition to a parentage verified registry was not started on a whim from the BOD, but was membership driven. The plan was developed in direct response to broad based membership requests to clarify the meaning of Chondrodysplasia, Pulmonary Hypoplasia with Anasarca (PHA), and the conveyance of an Obligate status for each when parentage verification is not required for registration.



We are grateful to the members that took the time communicate with the officers and the BOD regarding this first step in transitioning to a parentage verified registry. It is apparent that there are issues that need attention and clarification. As we go forward as an association, please contact your regional director with points of clarification and changes you would like to see prior to the 2015 AGM in Virginia. Please, do not contact the Registrar with your suggestions. Jill is the Registrar and does not make policy; that is the job of the Board.



Thank you,

Jim Woehl, ADCA President
(copied from ADCA Website page)

[legendrockranch]

Dec 1, 2014 23:09:33 GMT -5 copperhead said:

I think people would be surprised at how many calves get mixed up, we need to have both parents verified, that's the only way to keep these pedigrees right, and the only way to know if they are truly obligate non- carries. I think they should give the large herds time to get their cows tested or start with 2014 heifers and go from there. Some people with large herds would take a big financial hit if they had to gynotype all their cows at once.

While I understand what you are saying, sometimes it's the larger herds that can be more problematic. At least that was the case with the last 3 incorrect registered animals that I know of.
One set time frame for all.

Barb

[zephyrhillsusan]

bapetteway, I'm not sure if you saw on a previous page that someone posted the message & many of us were expressing our thanks.  I just want to be sure all of you on the BoD know that we are grateful that you heard the membership on this!  

[rhonda]

Nov 29, 2014 17:54:39 GMT -5 RedRidge said:

Not sure why that would ruffle any feathers. That's just the way it is. I always send tail hairs to legacy within 24 hrs of each calf birth for ALL tests. Everything is easy from there. I've never dealt with TAMU and don't care to, and never had to deal personally with UCD. One stop shopping through legacy - pretty handy. Then I just send the ADCA copies of everything when I register the calf with them sometime later that year.

How much does it cost to transfer the info to ADCA?

[kansasdexters]

rhonda,

The DNA genotype test is used for parentage testing. The sire, dam, and calf genotypes all have to be at the same lab in order to do full parentage qualification. It costs $2.00 to transfer a genotype that was done at Texas A&M to UC-Davis VGL, but you have to enter the values for each marker into a form they have on the internet, along with a PDF copy of the test report, and then they have to verify what you have submitted with Texas A&M, so it takes extra time. Payment is made to UC-Davis VGL.

It costs $5.00 to transfer a genotype test that was done at UC-Davis VGL to Texas A&M. You have to request UC-Davis VGL to send your test directly to Texas A&M (lab to lab transfer of data). Payment is made to the ADCA, and then they pay Texas A&M.


Patti

[zephyrhillsusan]

If your question is how much it costs to register an animal with the ADCA after it has been genotyped and PVd through Legacy, you could ask the ADCA Registrar, Jill Delaney.  Her email link is on this page.  She's very good about responding to questions.

[rhonda]

So, it sounds like the simple way is to transfer all to Texas.? Can the genotype be done with the samples they already have?

[zephyrhillsusan]

I suppose it depends where you have most of them done. I personally re-did my few from TAMU at UCD (and do everything there now) for several reasons. TAMU uses fewer markers and rounds some of them off. I like that UCD uses more markers. Also, I like the online access I have at UCD.

If you have more animals already done at TAMU and have a lot of dams and sires that were also done there, TAMU might make more sense for you. What have you sent samples for, if not genotypes? Did you just test for other things like color, PHA, chondro, etc? Anyway, if they have enough tail hairs left, they should keep them on file there and be able to add tests like genotyping. I know UCD does.

[kansasdexters]

Rhonda,

Once the lab (either UCD-VGL or Texas A&M) has a sample, and the DNA genotype test has been done, it's a matter of getting the DNA genotypes of the sire, dam, and calf all at the same lab, then requesting a parentage analysis for the calf. There is no extra cost for this analysis, if the lab has all three DNA genotypes in their database. After they do this analysis, they will issue a report on the calf and in the comment section of this new report, it will have the result of the parentage analysis (hopefully it will say "Sire Qualified" and "Dam Qualified").

After you receive this report from the lab, you will need to send (email) a copy of it to the ADCA registrar in order for the online pedigree to indicate that your calf is "Sire and Dam Qualify".

Patti

[rhonda]

Thanks girls! My plan is to do the genotype the girls I have and move forward from there. Since the bull I had (this will be my last year of calves from him) and my new bull(who is already p.v.) plus one of my cows have been tested at Texas I think it would be easiest to go there..

[rhonda]

I thought of something else..do you move all the test result? For an obligate status for pha or whatever wouldn't it all have to be together?

[Dahdo]

This doesn't apply to your question, but since others might be following, if you don't own the sire or dam of the animal you want parent verified, and their genotype is at TAMU, you can still get a parentage verification at Davis. You have to submit a written request and pay $5 to TAMU and they will send a copy of the sire or dam's genotype to Davis and give you the accession number that you need to reference when you submit your sample to Davis.

[kansasdexters]

rhonda,

Since I test at UC-Davis and it only costs an additional $10 per test to test for PHA and Chondro, I just test each animal for both of these and send the reports with the parentage DNA genotype report when I registered each calf. That way, when I sell an animal as registered breeding stock, the new owner gets a copy of an actual test report showing that the animal was tested for both PHA and Chondro. I don't do the "obligate" thing because the ADCA registry doesn't always get it right - some animals that are carriers are shown to be noncarriers, and as soon as that happens, their offspring show up as "obligate" non-carriers, automatically. Not good enough for me, so I continue to test every calf that we register as breeding stock. No worries that way.

Patti

[zephyrhillsusan]

rhonda, the answer to your question is a bit complicated right now because the ADCA is in the process of putting together a plan that will include PV for all animals, taking into consideration the existence of two labs and the necessity to have test results of sire, dam & offspring all in the same place.  That will all affect the obligate status issue.  I know they will get it all worked out.  For now I would recommend using Patti's method.  I think once everything is all worked out and everyone gets in the swing of things with PV, the obligate thing will work out along with everything else.  Since all of my breeding stock are non-carriers of PHA and chondro, I'll probably be satisfied with obligate reports to pass on to buyers.  However, if I had any positive stock, I would continue to do the tests and get actual negative (or positive) reports. 

When you report test results to the ADCA, you should always do two things:

1) Keep a copy for yourself, preferably on your computer and on paper in a file.
2) Check that the test results have been correctly reported on the ADCA pedigree page and on your registration certificate.  If not, you can email Jill Delaney to get things straightened out. (Sometimes Jill will enter the correct information, but the software reverts to "default."  It did that when I first registered our herd sire, and default is "cow."  So our bull got registered as a cow.   When I notified Jill, she was able to easily give him a sex change operation and make him a bull again.   )