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Making Moves with
Genetic Testing
E
very month there are around one million cattle movements reported to the British Cattle Movement Service
(BCMS) and 200,000 new applications for cattle passports. With numbers on that scale, it's hardly surprising
that some farmers miss the 27-day deadline to report calf births. And all too often, clients suddenly realise there's
a problem when they think about moving the animal off the holding for sale or slaughter. Luckily, there's a fast,
effective solution available, talk to your vet today.
Vet Rose Jackson from Scarsdale Veterinary
Group says, ‘Although many of our clients
apply for passports on-line, a few have been
caught out by the 27-day deadline. When
you are busy on the farm, that time can pass
before you know it and often once the farmer
recognises that there is a problem, it has
become an issue that has to be solved
quickly too, purely from the point of view of
economics. Who wants to continue feeding
an animal that has got to slaughter weight or
hold on to it when there is a willing buyer
?
The practice has probably done around 30
BCMS DNA tests now to confirm parentage
and identity. In some cases the farmer has
already heard about the service but in others
we have been able to give a reassuring
answer to someone who has called in a panic
about the absence of a passport. Most have
concerns, usually about the cost and complexity
of the process but we've been able to set their
mind at ease on that too.
A lot of farmers remember the days when a
DNA sample cost upwards of £100 and took
months to process. These days it's a fraction of
the cost and results can be with us in a couple
of weeks. If time allows, we tend to fit in
BCMS testing with TB testing, so it doesn't cost
a lot extra for our call out.’
The suppliers of the test use an ISO- and
BCMS-approved laboratory based in the UK
to process the results, ensuring fast turnaround
and there is a dedicated customer service team
on hand to support vets and their clients and
ensure fast delivery of this service.
Other tests are also available for hereditary
diseases, such as Contractural Arachnodactyly
(CA) (formerly known as Fawn Calf Syndrome)
and Tibial Hemimelia - an invaluable resource
for those farms where cases keep appearing
and can't be traced to one or two individual
breeding animals. And while BCMS testing
involves blood sampling, many of these other
tests can be carried out on hair samples,
making multiple testing quick, feasible and
cost effective.
Farmers can also use DNA marker tests such as
GeneSTAR
®
, which enables earlier and more
accurate genomic predictions to identify an
individual animal's potential in areas such as
feed efficiency, meat tenderness, marbling and
overall palatability. Of course, the advantage
of determining an animal's genetic potential in
this way is that it can be established early in
life. This allows farmers to make management
decisions that will ultimately both enhance
profitability and ensure that the animals with
the most promise are reared in a way that
guarantees they reach their full potential.
Rose Jackson says, ‘The clients that have used
BCMS testing are mainly beef farmers and
despite the interest in these genetic tests, the
beef industry is a bit behind the dairy world
in terms of adopting genetics technology.
Many of my clients don't understand about
EBVs (estimated breeding values) yet but both
farmers and vets like new exciting technologies
if they seem affordable and useful, so it will
be interesting to see the impact as these tests
become better known and are used by
everyone, not just the specialist producers.’
Things may change more quickly than might
be imagined and forward thinking breed
societies are actively working to continue to
secure the heritage and performance of some
of our top beef breeds. In the meantime,
BCMS DNA testing provides a practical
and accessible solution to what can be a
thorny problem.
What Do Farm Clients
Need to Do?
l
Contact BCMS with details of the
animal's dam. On confirming that the
dam is still alive, BCMS will issue a
pre-populated application form for
DNA tests on both the dam and
her calf.
l
Request a visit from the veterinary
practice to take blood samples from
the dam and calf.
l
Blood samples, forms and cheques for
lab fees are returned in the postage
paid envelope supplied.
l
Your XLVets practice can discuss the
results further with you.
SUMMER 2011 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
18
A N I M A L H E A L T H
ROS E J ACK SON
The beef industry is a bit behind the dairy in
terms of adopting genetics technology.
Late Passport
Applications: