Information on Pedigree - Where did the red gene come from?

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:49 pm

I'm trying to work out where the red gene came from in a bull that we had. I know that his dam was red, but I also wondered if his Sire carried red as well?

So can anyone tell me if Hiyu Salty Rambler carried Red? He was registered in the U.S., but as so many international Dexter breeders take part in this forum, I thought it was a good place to ask. Rambler's sire was Saltaire Platinum and his dam was Hiyu Rosegay.

Our bull also carried Dun. I didn't find this out until after I sold him and the following Spring, a beautiful dun bullcalf was born. He'd been mated to this same cow for years and this was the first time a dun calf resulted from the mating. All others were black. The Dun gene came all the way through his pedigree from Cranworth Juno, a Canadian registered cow.

I'm guessing that is not all that common for a Black bull to carry both the Red and the Dun gene?

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:47 am

Hiyu Salty Rambler 4th does carry red.
It must come down from a good few generations back, but he does for sure carry red.
Margaret.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:52 am

Thanks for that Margaret. I'll make a note on the pedigree, so I know that it comes through our bull's Sire as well as his dam. One of them must have passed on the gene.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 8:33 am

Inger, our merchandising officer, who shared in the importation of HSR4 straws, had a red calf by him first up. We were all surprised and delighted, way back then, including Carol.
Margaret

PorcPrunus NL · Post by **PorcPrunus NL** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:29 pm

Inger wrote:Thanks for that Margaret. I'll make a note on the pedigree, so I know that it comes through our bull's Sire as well as his dam. One of them must have passed on the gene.

When a black calf is born out of a black sire and a red damn 2 things are for sure:
The damn passed the Red gene (she doesn't got a black to pass)
The sire passed the black gene, if he had passed a red gene the calf had been red.

marion · Post by **marion** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:23 am

wagra dexters wrote:Inger, our merchandising officer, who shared in the importation of HSR4 straws, had a red calf by him first up. We were all surprised and delighted, way back then, including Carol.
Margaret

I bred my red cow to Hiyu SR4 for her first calf. I was so excited when she calved. It was at night and in the flashlight beam I saw the feet emerging and they were RED :D My first and only red calf and I was so excited! He was so bright red he just about glowed..marion

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:43 am

Yes, I had presumed the Red gene came from the Dam's side, but it is interesting to know that there was a red gene on the sire's side as well.

I was very surprised when the Dun coloured calf turned up, as the last Dun animal in his pedigree was 5 generations before. Its amazing how long a gene can keep getting passed on down through the generations.

I waited for our first Red calf for many years before one finally showed up. I borrowed a couple of red bulls for 2 generations, in order to bring it about. The first generation was all black and the second generation was all bull calves (not a lot of progress made that year), then one of our cows had 2 red calves in a row and we bought our own red bull. His first red daughter was born a year ago and is looking lovely. We didn't get any red calves this season, but our first Dun heifer calf arrived instead. I've bought a new dun coloured bull to continue on for the next generation. It's great to have the luxury of three bulls, one in each colour.

Its a lot more fun to mix and match the genetics.