Hair’s a new breeding tool...

A new test that requires just a few strands of cattle hair will revolutionise livestock producers' breeding decisions.

Based on 'DNA fingerprinting', the test gives cattle producers access to the genetic make-up of their animals. This allows more objective breeding decisions to be made in order to deliver specific traits.

"We can now look for specific gene markers to identify whether an animal carries any one of a number of heritable characteristics," says Andy Forbes, head of technical services at Merial Animal Health.

"Wouldn't it be useful to identify the genes responsible for improved milk yield, higher fat, better protein levels, meat tenderness…and more?

"Such information would be invaluable in developing new breeding and management programmes, allowing animals to develop their full genetic potential and improve the profitability of both the herd and the business," he enthuses.

Although the technology doesn't promise the 'perfect' cow, Merial's IGENITY testing service marks an exciting new chapter in cattle breeding. Minor changes in genes - known as 'single nucleotide polymorphisms', or 'snips' - can be analysed to define an animal's true potential. The test uses just a few strands of hair plucked from the animal's tail-switch.

"The first test was IGENITY-L," explains Mr Forbes, "which identifies the form of leptin - an appetite-regulating protein - that an animal produces.

"Identify the leptin and you can work out an animal's potential for different functions, such as appetite, energy use and fat deposition. These could affect headline figures such as milk and meat yield - cows producing 't' leptin produce up to 1.5kgs more milk per day than cows with 'c' leptin.

" Other tests launched so far include OptiYIELD, which can show the genetic potential for milk and fat yield, and ComponentMaker, which can select for milk protein content. Another test, called TenderGENE, allows producers give their buyers a guarantee of the degree of tenderness on each individual carcass. In the US, producers have been receiving a premium of up to £80 for carcasses at the top of the scale.

"IGENITY is a positive addition to the 'stockman's eye' that so many breeders value. Breeding's never going to be perfect, but IGENITY helps make selection and breeding decisions more precise and allows producers to justify their decisions more readily," concludes Mr Forbes.

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