Optimized Genetic Testing for Polledness in Multiple Breeds of Cattle.

ABSTRACT: Many breeds of modern cattle are naturally horned, and for sound husbandry management reasons the calves frequently undergo procedures to physically remove the horns by disbudding or dehorning. These procedures are however a welfare concern. Selective breeding for polledness - absence of horns - has been effective in some cattle breeds but not in others (Bos indicus genotypes) due in part to the complex genetics of horn phenotype. To address this problem different approaches to genetic testing which provide accurate early-in-life prediction of horn phenotype have been evaluated, initially using microsatellites (MSAT) and more recently single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). A direct gene test is not effective given the genetic heterogeneity and large-sized sequence variants associated with p

SUBMITTER: Randhawa IAS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7003080 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature