UK Registry requirements

[Duncan MacIntyre]

PHA is a genetic problem, and the methods of dealing with such things are by necessity different from infectious diseases, but Tim is right we need to be aware of infectious diseases and biosecurity. I hate the word biosecurity but it is in widespread use.

During my last spell on DCS council the genetics committee of the day was told by Council that it did not exist and disbanded. I suggested a Health and Welfare Committee to look at general health and welfare issues, and was told forcibly that "if we have a health and welfare committee people will think we have problems" and those with closed minds won the day.

Duncan

[Tim Watson]

Can anyone demonstrate that they are able to charge a premium for higher health stock, either on the hoof or as beef?

[Louisa Gidney]

If we had a breed genetics advisor who was worthy of the description, we would by now have followed the lead of other breed societies when a genetic problem is identified and get an academic study done. A collaborative project with the USA & Aus data would generate academic brownie points & be impartial. It would need someone to write a very good project design to submit to a funding body, eg SERC, and find an institution willing to be a partner in the project and find the right calibre of research student. Such things are not impossible but, given the negativity from elements of the broader membership about the DCS funding contribution to the Cardiff PhD project, unlikely. A trawl through the Bibliography for my PhD will through up some examples I found about other breeds with abortion of non-viable dwarf foetuses. I would add that I found no published examples identified as PHA when I was doing that literature search.

[Kirk- Cascade Herd US]

By the way, PHA (Pulmonary Hypoplasia with Anasarca) is a serious deadly condition likely caused by a serious defect in the lymphatic system. The main function of the lymphatic circulation system is to drain fluid from tissues and return it to the vascular circulatory (blood vessels) system. The lymphatic circulation system is also a vital component in lung biology.

A series of genes code for the development of a healthy, normal lymphatic circulatory system. The PHA lethal gene is a broken lymphatic system gene causing extremely poor lung development and great tissue swelling.

Pulmonary Hypoplasia = Lungs poorly-developed

Ansarca = hydrops foetalis including extreme subcutaneous oedema (fluid accumulation and swelling of tissues).

When genes break, they usually break in a unique manner, and then they are passed down for generations. PHA genes can be found in many different breeds of cattle, but the particular PHA gene found in Dexters, appears to be unique to Dexters. If you test for the PHA gene, you need to request the Dexter version.

The PHA gene found in Dexters, appears to be almost entirely recessive. So a Dexter can carry a single copy of the gene without showing any known ill-effects.

[Rob R]

If it is that much of a concern why doesn't the DCS go to someone like the SRUC, negotiate a reduced fee onto the Premium Cattle Health Scheme for all DCS members and then sing it from the roof tops that as a breed we are driving forward to eradicate what we can and that all registered Dexters are premium health.
The concern that people will think that Dexters are infected doesn't stand up if it's done nationally. It would be like a car company not fitting seat belts because it's owners never crash.
That is something I would sit up and listen to and would consider it to be something really well done for the members.


Tin hat on, sandbags in place..........................

I wish. It would have been just brilliant to be able to buy in stock without jeopardising my health status if more breeders would just sign up to a health scheme. Perhaps when BVD testing becomes compulsory in England and Wales there may be some movement on this.

That's the issue with many schemes, such as organic farming, for a minority breed such as ours; they severely restrict your choices which are already restricted by overall numbers. They make [numerically] small breeds even smaller.

[JamsHundred]

In the US there are only 4 aborted calves of which *i* am personally aware. . . . . however. . .. . .
there were hundreds of carrier animals identified descending from one cow. I inquired . . . . because PHA should be far more of a concern than the dwarf genetics, ( which were the foundation of the Dexter breed in the first place and which carry the traits we admire and laud in Dexter cattle), as PHA creates a serious threat to the cow carrying a PHA calf. In the past, and perhaps even to now, the PHA calves are similar to bulldog calves in deformity, but they become so heavy and large with fluid they cannot be birthed naturally. Owners, and breeders, will torture the cow trying to pull a calf, or cut it out, and by the time cesarean is the only option, the cow is in bad shape, the calf is not viable, and the owner must decide on the value of the cost of the surgery or euthanasia. Hundreds of cows and bulls were carriers in the US. . . .. but there were few actual instances of deformed calves. That is why I was curious as to why there seems little awareness or concern in the UK.

It is thought it came into the Woodmagic herd from Doesmead. I think there is information that could point to other sources as well. In March of 1973 Mrs. Rutherford reported a "deformed long leg - born dead". The parents were Canwell Felicia 8504 and Canwell Satan 2014. In the same year another breeder reported a "mummified" calf from Canwell Buster 1982, but does not describe other attributes. Miss M. P. King, ( married name Laing), reported a "long legged deformity" from the dam, Canwell Trudie 8435 and Canwell Buster 1982. Woodmagic Dormouse was listed as sire on a number of calves that did not survive their birth in 1974 in the Woodmagic herd, and none of those were described as "bulldog". In July of 1976, The owner of the Statenboro herd reported a "deformed long leg" to the dam, Statenboro Hawk 23rd 8653 and Statenboro Saprophyte 2039. The bull descended from Canwell Satan, but there isn't a readily apparent connection to the dam and any of these other lines. There are a couple of herds through the late 60's and into the 70's that had a high percentage of calves born dead, and not described as "bulldog" , and there are quite a few that were. But were they? In the US, it is now obvious that many calves that were identified as "bulldog" likely were not.

The cost of a PHA test at UCD-VGL in the US is $20.00. With the exchange rate it is even less, and if the owner wants chondro or color or even polled testing there are bundled prices. With the exchange rate the testing is far less than the prices I see in UK info and the price of the postage may be a bit higher but that would be the only additional cost.

Judy

[Saffy]

I have never seen a bulldog calf born only pics, so can't comment on that but have seen a PHA calf from a Freisian cow...it would most certainly not have been simply "born dead" with no explanation Judy - unless mine was unusual and I have no reason to believe it was. Not because it would have been born alive of course not but because it just wouldn't come out!!! The cow couldn't push it out and no matter how we tried - and vet tried with a calf puller, it couldn't be pulled out as it ballooned with liquid against the inside of the cow, so the more you pull, the more there is to pull against. It was as I recall about 2 months early and so it was a small size for the cow but the liquid and movement of the liquid makes birth impossible. I would guess that it would always be a caesarian and then the owner would be advised that it was PHA? Unless it was aborted very early on indeed......

[Louisa Gidney]

Judy, I mentioned Schmallenberg in one of my previous posts. This is a midge born infection that causes deformed calves & lambs. It was only identified a few years ago. It seems more probable that something like this was the agent causing deformed non-short calves 40 odd years ago than PHA.

[JamsHundred]

Midge is not an insect name you hear in the US. I have seen you all discussing the problems with midges and badgers for years. .. but we don't have a badger issue here either. I had to google midge to see if they have them in the US, and there wasn't a lot of immediate info. non-biting midges are calld gnats. I know gnats! I have never seen a badger, though I know they are here in the US.

When I was young, growing up in the country, all the young males learn to shoot by hunting groundhogs and foxes, and unwanted wildlife. Young people do not do those outside activities much anymore. Even fishing does not seem to be a recreation the youth pursue any longer.

Duncan is right though. . . . .. .ONE cow imported to Canada and a couple of her descendant bulls spread PHA far and wide in the US. There have truly been hundreds and hundreds of cows removed from our breeding pool. Even though it was known there were aborted calves that were not bulldogs, the few who knew. . .. kept it secret from the general population of breeders and there were significant losses suffered by some breeders. It is like chondro, in that it takes two carriers to cause a loss and that possibility is only 25% so it can spread far and wide just on carriers passing it on to their offspring. . . . without a loss that alerts to a problem.

Judy