Chondrodysplasia Facts

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

As we learned earlier, broken ACAN genes are the cause of chondrodysplasia (cartilage deformity, dwarfism defects, diseased joints, and early arthritis)

Latest research shows that broken ACAN genes are ALSO the cause of osteochondrosis/osteochondritis.

The poor steer who's diseased joint is pictured up above, was suffering from chondrodysplasia and likely ALSO suffering from osteochondritis... Both caused by broken ACAN genes.

ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/ACAN#conditions

Animals need two healthy ACAN genes to have the best chance for healthy bones and joints.

It's a shame to purposefully inflict a diseased ACAN gene (chondrodysplasia BD1, BD2) on an animal.


PS. Some Dexter discussion sites ban any discussion of these terrible disease genes because some unethical breeders want to hide this information. I'm happy we can discuss it openly here.

[cddexter]

HA! known for my outspoken criticism of breeding FOR a lethal genetic defect (Gabriella Nanci once credited me with bring chondro out of the closet, and that was over 30 years ago), I have to say I've come to the conclusion that those who choose dwarfism over selective breeding relegate themselves in with dog and cat and weird goat owners who create designer animals. To me, this is reprehensible. Now I can have all those people who breed Persian cats and Pug dogs, and fainting goats on my case, as well as Dexter owners.

However, ain't gunna change much. Ego and profit. Owello.

cheers, c.

[lakeportfarms]

I don't think you understand. Dexters are already relegated to a novelty breed years and years ago, and they'll never be taken seriously by those that view Angus, Hereford, Simmental, etc... as the standards for what cattle should be. What the hell is the "smallest full size breed of cattle" anyway? Just like Lowlines were developed from selected breeding, the Dexter, according to history, was selected from an accumulation of small cattle, likely all dwarfs despite what Kirk says, and formed into a breed a century plus ago. The reason you have Dexters that aren't dwarfs, is because two dwarf cattle will produce a non-dwarf 25 percent of the time, just like they'll produce a bulldog 25 percent of the time. So there will naturally be non-dwarf cattle with the ability to be put into the registry.

Why raise Dexters and at the same time fight the dwarf gene in the breed? I don't understand... Lowline Angus fill the niche far better than the Dexter ever will, and you can even get them in red. Few people focus on milking their Dexter, certainly not enough to serve as the customers for the number of Dexters that are produced in a year.  I see a lot of comments from people who may have considered Dexters, but they absolutely HATE all of the sniping and petty arguments that happen with the breed.  What else do I see and hear?  The cost.  Between membership, registration costs, and especially testing, people are turned off by all of the costs involved in owning Dexters.  They don't see that the Dexter that the majority of your raise as anything special that justifies that cost, because they are plentiful.  Especially now that the polled version is at a saturation point, and people are tired of A2 testing.  What are you all going to do now?  Raise chondro carriers that you've been disparaging for the past decade or more?...LOL!

Many of these people turn to other breeds eventually...such as the White Dexter.  I see a lot of Dexter owners using Lowline Angus in their herds (at least they're admitting it now that polled Dexter prices have crashed, and it's slightly more transparent now due to genotype requirements...LOL).  In our case, it's the little Highlands that we raise including those that have the dwarf gene that we brought in from the Dexter. 

I expect to manage my farm and breeding so that I can make a good profit.  If that makes me greedy, so be it, but I call it good business acumen.  My customers don't think I'm greedy, because I provide something that they have a hard time finding elsewhere, that they want, and I'm adhering to the breed as it was originally founded.  If I have the opportunity to fill a desire by the owner of a petting zoo to sell a short legged Dexter steer at 4 months of age for $900, rather than raise it for 26 months and end up with only a few hundred more dollars in my pocket, I'm going to go that route.  I sold 11 of them last summer to petting zoos, and to some older people who want to play around with oxen during their retirement.  I have a waiting list for this year and waiting for calving to fill it.  And the new owners absolutely love them, and they fill a need to the customer no less than that steak on a plate.  I have a waiting list upwards of 50 people now looking for one of the Mini Highlands.  This year we're going to flush a few of our best Miniature Highlands and use most of our non-carrier Dexters as recipients.

Like it or not Kirk (and some others who will not be named) does far more damage to the breed than you all seem to realize, with his obsession over chondro and his scare tactics.  I've brought more than three dozen brand new Dexter owners to the breed in the past year with the sale of some of my carriers, and they're all going to be in the market for additional (non-carrier) Dexters.  Do you think they're going to purchase their non-carriers from somebody who disparages the carriers that they already own?

Oh, and Sheril and I also raise Miniature Silky Fainting goats.  We just had a kidding of 8 of them, and they have all sold by 8 weeks of age, other than two that we are retaining.  For between $700-$1000...each.

[lakeportfarms]

And the irony of all of this "discussion" back and forth about chondro, is that it is raising the awareness among prospective Dexter owners that there IS a difference within the Dexter breed. And, at least from our experience, the majority of people new to the breed are not scared of having chondro animals in their herd. In fact they prefer them. On Facebook people loved my "shortie of the day" posts. I still get a message every now and then asking if I could start it up again. It creates a demand for them. Thanks Kirk!

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

Lots of people like shorter Dexters.

Those who like short Dexters have two choices:

Option #1 naturally short dexters with healthy cartilage and healthy bones tested free of known disease genes. These can freely breed each other and produce 100% short and healthy offspring.

Option #2 Dexters stunted by a cartilage and bone disease called chondrodysplasia. These produce dead deformed calves 25% of the time, and produce taller animals 25% of the time.

Since 2002, it's been easy to test for the chondrodysplasia disease gene.


Dexters are proven to have far superior beef than Lowlines and the genetic tests prove it. Dexters have proven superior tenderness genetics, and superior ribeye size genetics.

[carragheendexters]

Enough is enough. Take this ongoing chondrodysplasia war private. People have had read enough of both sides and are really fed up with it all.
Barb was trying to get this forum up and running again. Well, I just don't see that ever happening again with all of this.
Reflect on yourself, just give a bit of thought why nobody else is joining in on your conversation, BECAUSE IT ISN'T A CONVERSATION, IT'S A DIATRIBE.
You cannot force your opinion onto people, haven't you heard the saying about opinions and everyone has one, and so yours isn't special and it sometimes smells LOL

[dexterfarm]

generally I dont respond to Kirks Agendas most people I think see them for what they are and I think Hans is right that his ramblings have only increased interest in dwarfs. I dont even post here anymore. The only reason I posted was because under a heading he called facts he posted a picture and claimed it was the result of dwarfism it was not. It was an out an out lie and that needs to be challenged.

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

My motivation is to research and share the facts of genetics related to Dexters. These facts may make some people uncomfortable, but I can back all my facts with science.

Fact: The picture I posted is a picture of a steer with a BD1 Chondrodysplasia gene which is a broken ACAN gene.

Fact: Broken ACAN genes cause shrunken skeletal frames (chondrodysplasia), early arthritis (osteoarthritis) and bone splintering and lesions (osteochondrosis/osteochondritis)

The photo of the steer shows that he likely has osteochondritis (which has been proven to be caused by broken ACAN genes, which we call chondrodysplasia)


Here is information on the subject copied from the link found below:


"osteochondritis dissecans

At least one mutation in the ACAN gene has been found to cause osteochondritis dissecans. This condition is characterized by areas of bone damage (lesions) caused by the detachment of cartilage and some of the underlying bone from the end of the bone at a joint. Other common features are short stature and early development of a painful joint disorder called osteoarthritis.

The abnormal aggrecan protein is unable to attach to other components of cartilage. As a result, the cartilage is disorganized and weak.

disorganized cartilage network in growing bones impairs their growth, leading to short stature."


ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/ACAN#conditions

[kansasdexters]

Kirk - Since you don't own any Chondrodysplasia-carrier Dexter cattle and you don't breed them, and you never have owned or bred them, it makes no sense for you to continue your diatribe. Yes, the genetic science says that this mutation affects the ACAN gene, no arguement there. But since those of us that do own them and love them, have been able to keep them into their mid-teen years, still productive, fertile, good milkers, and good mothers; we value them differently than you do. We value them for what they are, and what they can do, rather than focus criticism on what they aren't and can't do. So be it, to each his own.

P.S. Every cow dies of something, and some die sooner than others. We currently have a Chondro-carrier that will be 14-years old in April 2018. She is expecting her 13th calf, due at the end of April 2018. All of her calves have weaned as healthy calves, and they have lived productive lives, even the one that was frostbitten at birth. She has produced calves with weaning weights exceeding 75% of her own weight, while maintaining her own body condition throughout every pregnancy, lactation, and now aging. Yes, she has arthritis now, and this will be her last calf. But how many Dexter cows have accomplished what she has? Not many of them.

[Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk]

I've bred over 200 healthy dexters, all tested free of all known testable genetic diseases, and I've extensively studied genetic science and the history of Dexters. I've discussed the Chondrodysplasia disease with scores of breeders with tons of experience with them. Most Chondro breeders have little or no knowledge of the critical role of aggrecan protein in healthy cartilage and bone.

Non-chondro Dexters are known to often live long healthy lives of 18 years or more. My 14 year old lead cow Heather (non-Chondro, came to my farm as a young calf), looks and runs like a 7 year old cow, she's having her 13th calf this spring and I expect many more. Heather's non-chondro mother is 19, and last I heard she is still going strong, pregnant with calf #17 .

All of my 12-14 year old non-chondro animals seem very young. I've never had a Dexter limp.

Here is Heather's mother

www.emeraldparkfarm.com/Susie.html

Animals (and humans) need maximum aggrecan protein (provided by the ACAN gene) to have the best chance of healthy, long-lasting, pain-free joints.

Aggrecan is a critical essential protein for the proper construction of cartilage and joints. The BD1 chondrodysplasia gene is a completely broken ACAN gene.

Purposefully inflicting an animal with a broken ACAN gene, means purposefully depriving them of essential aggrecan and purposefully inflicting them with early joint pain and early arthritis. The pain starts very early.

The typical progression of Heterozygous BD1 animals (Chondrodysplasia) is as follows:

Age 1-7 most are healthy
Age 8-9 joint inflammation and pain starts
Age 10-12 pain increases, mobility issues start.
Age 13-14 severe arthritis, muscle wasting

Beryl Rutherford (Woodmagic) had many decades of experience here's what she had to say:

[carragheendexters]

Ah, just like a teetotaller telling a wine connoisseur that a particularly good red wine is no good and won't be to their liking as the testing shows too much acid and they have read that it is no good, even though they themselves have never had wine ever touch their lips LOL