Preservation project news

[jamshundred]

There is a branch office of the company Transova here in Maryland. This company specializes in the process of invitro fertilization. The Legacy preservation effort has expanded beyond the effort that was made to preserve the bloodline of Wee Gaelic Ms. Fermoy to doing the same with some Legacy cows, currently the Colorado line. More on that as the project advances. In conjuction with saving that bloodline we are also working to bring dwarf gentics back into the Legacy lines.

The dwarf genetics are the value of the Dexter breed for they carry the traits most valued in the breed since it was organized.

It was interesting for me to find out today that the Shorthorn breed is working on a similar project. This is verbatim from an email I received today:

Something similar is going on with Heritage Shorthorns, and it is proving successful in garnering lots of renewed interest among established breeders, as well as attracting new breeders. The situation with that breed is (obviously) different, but some challenges are the same. The most rewarding has been repeated discoveries of frozen semen from sires thought to be lost long ago.

This mirrors what we are discovering with the Legacy project.  More and more breeders want to breed the heritage/traditional bloodlines and are looking for preservation bloodlines to raise.  It is very exciting!

With the availability and affordability of new reproduction methods for multiple births from individual cows. . . . I believe there will be more and more interest from various breeds in preserving early bloodlines of their breeds.  

Definitely hoping for an exciting preservation year!  Much has been happening, especially with the herd reduction at Chautauqua and those animals moving out into new hands!

Judy

PS.   REMINDER:    If you are,  or wish to be,  a preservation breeder, than you should be supporting LEGACY.   The breeders group and the registry.   If you are not. . . . . . why not?  Legacy has been the SINGULAR effort and voice in this breed raising awareness of preservation and identifying the dwindling bloodlines and animals.   SHAME on you. . .  if  as a breeder of preservation bloodlines you are not supporting LEGACY, for LEGACY . . .. . has been supporting YOU!

[genebo]

Thank you for all you do and have done for the preservation effort and best of luck in these new projects.

Let me know how I can help.

I believe that Legacy Eve of Paradise is now pregnant to Legacy Jams Dunder, so that should add one more Legacy calf to the herd.

[jamshundred]

Thanks Gene.   Legacy can always count on you.

I see a number of breeders who are advertising, selling, and chatting about their "Legacy or traditional" cows.   I do not see them as members supporting the preservation breeder group, nor do they place their animals in Legacy, yet. . . . they would never have known the historical treasure in their pastures without the work of Legacy folks, never had an online pedigree site that categorized their cattle and defined pedigrees without the preservation effort.  They like the benefits Legacy efforts provide them, without taking any risks.

[cascade]

Can you provide us with an exact list of traits you're hoping to preserve?

You can't preserve traits unless you have a detail list/description.

[lonecowhand]

1. Genetically Horned Dexters with no Platinum Deliberate Outcrossing in them.
2. Dwarf foundation genetics, (chondro positive)
3. See number 1

[cascade]

1. All cattle are genetically horned. All cattle have genes coding for horn size and shape and color. Removing horns by any method including physical removal or via the polled gene, leaves the horn genes in place. Two polled cattle can have horned offspring, because polled cattle have horn genetics.

2.There is no record of any non-Dexters in Saltaire Platinum's background. Also, he is one of the only Dexter bulls in the world, who has been DNA verified to be pure Dexter and DNA verified to not have genetics from other breeds.

3. All Dexters have shorter-than-usual cattle (dwarfs) in their ancestry.


So it looks like my entire herd meets your description.

[lonecowhand]

Sorry, but as you know, Genetically Horned means with the ability to consistently , constantly produce horns on offspring; leave them on or remove them physically and you dont affect that ability.

Breed them to a polled animal, and that ability is impaired. No longer genetically horned!

Polledness in Dexters comes from the inclusion of a polled non- dexter to impart a lack of the ability to produce horned offspring under most breeding circumstances.

The real problem with offspring of Platinum is that importing polledness also imported whatever unknown characteristics of the unknown polled breed. The Miracle of Polledness does not fly here. Especially problematic with Platinum is that his genetics are a mystery, who knows what was used , and what genetic baggage came along for the ride. The fact that ADCA chose to "genetically Verify" or "Claim by Proclamation" that platinum was purebred flies in the face of reality. That move was to cover their collective backsides for having allowed a Non - Dexter into the registry.

Essentially you had a trade off, no horns for a half bred Dexter, at least in the first generation. Yes, yes, I know there is a allowed upgrading protocol , blah, blah, but the effect is the same, Half of the original potential genetics.

That does not say they are not fine critters, like half dexter / white parks, but don't call them Traditional Dexters when you know they are out-crossed or "Upgraded." At least with White Park mixes , you know what animals they started with.

[lonecowhand]

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