Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Probably a couple years ago there was a discussion of chondrodysplasia and the deformed calves aborted in some cases. Thee was a breeder who posted statistics he kept within his herd. I recall the percentage, 6%, but cannot find his post.

Can someone help put me in touch? Or if the poster reads this, email me?

Thanks,

Judy
JamsHundred@aol.com

Hi Judy,
There were only 2 herds on the Isle of Man and I dont think either would have kept statistics. The Statenboro herd always bred short to short and had a number of "bulldogs" over the years. They were always declared in the herd book as such. Any non-short heifers were never registered but were finished for veal at about 8 months old. Miss Robinson was totally honest about her breeding, calves that were born dead were declared as such and were not "bulldogs" I reiterate "bulldogs" were recorded as such. I analysed her proportion of "bulldogs" her herd had had and it came out at 1 in 7 not 1 in 4

I breed short to short in the US, and I get 0% deformed aborted "bulldogs". How is that possible? It's because many "shorts" don't have the chondrodysplasia gene... there are all sorts of other genes that can make Dexters "short".
In my herd, I have eliminated the chondrodysplasia gene, but I have those other genes that cause shortness.

If someone had 6% bulldogs, and someone else had 1 in 7 bulldogs, it's because some of their "shorts" didn't have the chondrodysplasia gene, and some did.

You have to test 100% of your herd, to figure it out, and if you eliminate the chondrodysplasia gene, then you'll see that there are obviously other genes that can cause shortness.