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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:31 am
by Broomcroft
We've just had a black hiefer calf early this morning and it has a little white on it's udder and a stripe of white along it's belly. Would you register her?
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:09 am
by Duncan MacIntyre
As long as the white does not extend in front of the navel it is allowable. Quite a sizeable proportion of Dexters do have a small amount of white on the udder, and in ssome bulls on the scrotum or just in front, and the tassel of the tail.
The breed standard says
"Colour - Wholly black, wholly red and wholly dun are of equal merit. A little white will not disqualify, but must be limited to:- Bulls, a small amount on thse organs of generation and in the tassel f the tail. Cows, a small amount on the udder and underline, in the tasel fo the tail and on the vulva. There must be no white forward of the navel or on any other part o the body"
Of course in the show ring, with two animals of otherwise equal merit, a judge might well decide to mark down one with white against one with none at all.
It can be very difficult to see the whole underside of an adult animal. I usually turn a newborn calf upside down and look very carefully, and check for extra teats at the same time.
Duncan
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:14 pm
by Woodmagic
It is a sad fact that this ruling excludes animals that are genetically identical, and I have always disapproved. The gene that gives white in font of the navel is the same as that which produces it in the rear. Anywhere underneath is governed by the same gene. White elsewhere on the body may well indicate an inheritance from another breed, but in that case, to be logical, the parents should also be excluded, since they must carry the gene for the calf to have inherited it. I, in common with a number of breeders, like to see a bit of white on the udder, it often seems to be a signature of a good milker. On occasion severe skin damage can produce white markings after birth. Recent research suggests that appearance of white may on occasion be the result of some gestation disturbance. Breeding for colour in my view should be governed by the inheritance of Dexter genes, not prejudice. Unfortunately Duncan’s advice is good guidance of the present ruling.
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:18 pm
by Saffy
Duncan,
What should we do about extra teats?
With my dairy heifer calves, I would sterlize a pair of curved scissors clean the area and then remove the extras as long as it was obvious which ones needed to go. I can't remember what I put on the wound after but it always seemed to be OK but of course they were kept in and I could keep an eye on it more easily. Should I do this with any Dexter heifer calves I am lucky enough to breed in the future? Does it happen often with Dexters?
I am a bit squeemish and had to grit my teeth a bit!!! The calves seemed very tough and protested very little.
Stephanie
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:37 pm
by Colin
My lead cow has white on her udder. I've heard that some judges like to see this:
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:40 pm
by Broomcroft
The white comes from the mother who's udder looks very much like Colin's cow in the photo above. The addition is that all of her calves have a few white/grey hairs in their faces as does mom. But she's a lovely cow in all other ways but everything she has produced has gone into beef I'm afraid.
The white of the calf goes up to the navel and half encapsulates it and it is pronounced. The calf will not be kept so I'll just birth notify her.
PS. Excuse my ignorance, but what is actually physically wrong with extra teats?
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:20 pm
by Woodmagic
I am going to say all the wrong things again. I have never removed a teat from any of my calves. Extra teats will always lose placing in a show, but I have never had problems through their retention. I have been told they can encourage mastitis, but it has never arisen in my own herd either when suckling or milking. By removing the teats you remove the evidence, and prevent the better option of breeding away from them. I always insist that any bull breeder should have a really good udder, but if I purchased my bulls in I would not necessarily know that his dam started off with extra teats. I believe my policy has meant that I seldom breed a cow with extras teats, although I remember a few in early days.
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:35 pm
by Saffy
Thanks for your reply Woodmagic,
It certainly makes sense to me.
Back when I was removing them here we had a spate of heifers that had come into the herd with sometimes several extra teats which were tiny and leaked milk.
I expect we wouldn't have chosen their sire as a bull if his daughters used as examples in the advertising hadn't had them so beautifully removed !!!
The vet advised taking them off at birth and showed me the procedure to help deal with the problem but it is of course MUCH better not to have the problem in the first place!
Stephanie
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:22 am
by Kirk- Cascade Herd US
Woodmagic wrote:The gene that gives white in font of the navel is the same as that which produces it in the rear. Anywhere underneath is governed by the same gene.
The S locus is one of the primary controllers of spotting in cattle (and many other mammals). There are several possible alleles (alternative genes) at the S locus. The wild-type allele is notated as S+ and dictates no white spotting. Other alleles dictate various spotting such as the Hereford spotting (SH) and Pinzgaur spotting (SP). Belting and Blazing are controlled by a different locus (the B locus) and Shorthorn roaning is controlled by the R locus. The recessive S locus gene (s) may or may not be responsible for all of the spotting on the underline of Dexters according to this article:
http://www.animal.ufl.edu/ans3384/Quali ... traits.htm
"In some solid-colored breeds, white spotting along the underline, especially in front of the navel, can disqualify an animal from registration. Such spotting may be due to the presence of s. In many cases, however, such spotting is not caused by s and it is unclear as to the genetic mechanism involved. Selection against such animals should reduce the incidence of such spotting, but reduces the selection intensity possible for traits related to productivity."
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:29 pm
by Woodmagic
The research quoted does not include the Dexter and I note the author admits ‘spotting may not be caused by s and it is unclear as to the genetic mechanism involved’. Since he also points out that selection against it may reduce breeding for commercial attributes, I think it unlikely that future investigation is likely to concentrate on s.
My requirements are solely that the colour of my animals does not imply genes acquired from another breed. My own experience confirms white underneath in front of the navel has never suggested that, whereas white elsewhere certainly does.
It is sad that the present rules for registration preclude animals that are almost certainly perfectly respectable Dexters, in some cases probably carrying rare and important Dexter genes, while animals with much upgrading are acceptable because there is nothing to be seen..
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:03 pm
by Broomcroft
Well you've all convinced me to register her and keep her probably for breeding. She meets the standards I am fairl certain, and her mother is a brilliant cow in every way. She just pops out healthy calves every year that are nicely built, stocky long-legs and all with a good attitude which they inherit from her.
Many thanks.
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:52 pm
by Inger
A number of our cows have white on their udders and on some of them the white stretches forward a bit. Its only really noticable when they're in full milk. Our bulls have no white on them though. The standard allows for the white, so I don't see any problems in registering your heifer Clive. Especially with such a good mother. I like the ones the just pop their calves out year after year with no fuss at all. They give Dexters a good name. :laugh:
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:54 pm
by Inger
delete