{"id":60366,"date":"2021-08-02T08:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=60366"},"modified":"2021-07-28T15:09:09","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T20:09:09","slug":"%ef%bb%bfbovine-mutation-frustration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=60366","title":{"rendered":"\ufeffBovine mutation frustration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Andrea Menard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special to Tiger Media Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first glance, Angus cattle may not be perceived as strikingly beautiful in any particular way. With their dark black or red coats, compact figures, muscular mid-sections, and charming bellows, they seem like an average bovine animal. However, they are more strategically put together than you think. Angus cattle originated from Scotland and were introduced to the United States in 1873. They are typically black coated, naturally polled (dehorned), and bear a muscular frame. Angus cattle may also possess a red coat. Their coat color separates them into two categories, Black Angus and Red Angus. So, what happens when the genes that come together to create this hearty creature alter their unique characteristics for the worst?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetic defects can\noccur as a result of spontaneous mutations in the genome. There are many\ndifferent deformities that can occur, but only a handful are directly monitored\nby the U.S. breed associations. These include autosomal recessive mutations\nonly, this means two copies of the altered allele need to be present in order\nfor the defect to be expressed. Dwarfism was the first abundant mutation\ndiscovered in Angus cattle in the 1950s. This is caused by both parents passing\non one recessive gene linked to the disorder in the offspring. Other common\ngenetic defects are Neuropathic Hydrocephalus (calves born with enlarged heads\nand fluid filling the cranial cavity) and osteopetrosis. Osteopetrosis is a\nrecessive mutation that only affects Red Angus cattle. The calves are either\nborn prematurely or they are born dead. Any calves that are born alive live\nonly less than 24 hours. Their bones are delicate and their jaws are shorter\nthan normal, causing their molars to be packed in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New mutations can occur when we least expect it, and often when we are the least prepared. In 2008, Arthrogryposis Multiplex was discovered in Angus cattle. Also known as \u201ccurly calf\u201d syndrome, this abnormality causes the calves’ legs and spine to appear twisted and their joints are fixed in place. This causes limited muscle development and the calf is rather thin. Calves diagnosed with this condition are often born deceased or die shortly after birth. The newest defect was recognized in 2013. A condition called Developmental Duplication, where calves are born with extra limbs. The limbs are usually duplicates of the front legs and protrude from the neck or shoulders. Calves with this disorder are often unhindered by their condition and can survive normally. If the extra limbs can be removed safely, then it is even better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, now you are aware\nof what can go wrong with your cattle, how about prevention? Modern technology\nhas saved the cattle industry by providing tests for most of the recognized\nmutations. These tests detect whether or not the animal carries the gene for\neach disorder and is a wonderful tool when implemented into an operation. If\nany of the animals in your herd test positive and are active carriers of the\ngene, refrain from breeding them at all costs. Eliminating the source is the\ngreatest preventative measure. Practicing outcross breeding can also help with\nthis issue. This practice allows their genetics to become more uniform, but is\nonly realistic for commercial (non-purebred) operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in a rural\ncommunity, you would think you have seen or heard about every curveball that\ncould possibly occur when it comes to cattle. However, after pursuing a degree\nin Animal Science, I have quickly discovered that this is not the case. Being a\ncollege student in the agricultural field has greatly broadened my knowledge\nand understanding of the severity of these defects. The most difficult aspect\nwhen learning about each mutation is not how to prevent it, but it is\nconvincing older farmers and ranchers that have been actively involved for\ngenerations to change their methods of production. Many of them have the \u201cif it\nain\u2019t broke don\u2019t fix it\u201d mindset. Justification for new methods must be made\nwith clear and effective communication in order to be considered. Open minds\nare the key to improving the health of our cattle and allowing them to\nflourish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetic mutations are\na random act of nature and can happen at any time, any place, and within any\ncattle breed. Some of them are more lethal than others, and there is a strong\npossibility that more will be discovered in the future. Angus cattle play huge\nroles in the beef industry and maintaining their health and well-being is a top\npriority. With proper planning and management methods of genetic mutations,\nthey can become a thing of the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrea Menard, a 2018 Kinsley High School graduate, is a\njunior majoring in animal science at Fort Hays State University. She is the\ndaughter of Bre Bland and Jake Menard, Kinsley.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Andrea Menard Special to Tiger Media Network At first glance, Angus cattle may not be perceived as strikingly beautiful in any particular way. With… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3397,3398,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-area-news","category-campus-news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Menard-Andrea.jpg?fit=2705%2C4058&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60366"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60368,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60366\/revisions\/60368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/60367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}