Myomax testing ram

[pgkane]

Who and where do people use to test for the myomax gene in there sheep?

 

[Yale]

Who and where do people use to test for the myomax gene in there sheep?

@neilo

 

[neilo]

Who and where do people use to test for the myomax gene in there sheep?

I've been using Lincoln Uni in NZ for several years, although they call it a T+ muscling test (MyoMAX is trade marked by Pfizer iirc). They have recently reduced their prices, so that if you are testing for several things, the second and subsequent tests are only £3 each.

https://www.lincoln.ac.nz/research/research/rc/gene-marker-lab/

 

[Woolless]

I use Neogen at Ayr. Apparently they don't need a blood sample now but can use a blood spot on a card.

 

[neilo]

I use Neogen at Ayr. Apparently they don't need a blood sample now but can use a blood spot on a card.

That’s what Lincoln do. No vet involved, thankfully. ££££

 

[Woolless]

That’s what Lincoln do. No vet involved, thankfully. ££££

Yes, I've used Lincoln before but it was a bit of a long turnaround. I can do my own blood samples but a pr*ck on the nose much easier for all concerned!

 

[NZDan]

I use Zoetis (NZ) although it's a tissue sample and needs a TSU gun, 10 quid and it gives Myomax Loinmax, Inverdale, Booroola, plus 3 or 4 other genes, it will also give parentage if the parents have been tested.
The advantage of Lincoln is you can also do FR gene test and Cold tolerance.

 

[neilo]

I use Zoetis (NZ) although it's a tissue sample and needs a TSU gun, 10 quid and it gives Myomax Loinmax, Inverdale, Booroola, plus 3 or 4 other genes, it will also give parentage if the parents have been tested.
The advantage of Lincoln is you can also do FR gene test and Cold tolerance.

I gave up doing the FR test after it seemed to show little correlation to lameness in my sheep (scald mostly).
I’ve stopped doing cold tolerance testing too, after all my Charollais seemed to come back with good results. I took the view that the breed must be ok generally for mobilising brown fat, so little point spending money to select for it.

 

[NZDan]

I gave up doing the FR test after it seemed to show little correlation to lameness in my sheep (scald mostly).
I’ve stopped doing cold tolerance testing too, after all my Charollais seemed to come back with god results. I took the view that the breed must be ok generally for mobilising brown fat, so little point spending money to select for it.

Yes scald is poorly related to the FR gene test, I still test groups of potential sires, anything with a 4 or a 5 gene is culled, as is anything that has FR or scald.
I've never tested for cold tolerance except for when my flock was part of the validation process, with a high lambing % and relatively exposed lambing paddocks we get good selection differential for survival anyways and most of my rams are ranked in the top 10% of sires for survival bv anyways.

 

[Global ovine]

I gave up doing the FR test after it seemed to show little correlation to lameness in my sheep (scald mostly).
I’ve stopped doing cold tolerance testing too, after all my Charollais seemed to come back with god results. I took the view that the breed must be ok generally for mobilising brown fat, so little point spending money to select for it.

The Lincoln Uni Footrot test was developed on Merinos and their derivatives. However it does work on other breeds of UK origin in NZ.
Note; the test only explains 12% of the reasons for a sheep to develop FR. The other 88% is environmental

 

[Global ovine]

(Had an accidental oops)
The environmental component can be injury, temperature and wetness, ice and snow etc. What has occurred in NZ with susceptible flocks by only using high ranking genotypes for FR resistance the incidence of FR has significantly reduced. It has not reduced seasonal scold, but largely prevented scold progressing into full blown FR.
Getting cleat (toe) shape and gap correct is very important........which is breeding for functionality.

In regards to Charollais and the Lincoln Cold Tolerance Test; we mirrored the test results of @neilo with all animals being in the top two tolerance groups. These were all imported live rams, imported as embryos and 1st cross animals by live rams and imported semen. Hence came to the same conclusion regarding brown fat mobilisation.

 

[NZDan]

(Had an accidental oops)
The environmental component can be injury, temperature and wetness, ice and snow etc. What has occurred in NZ with susceptible flocks by only using high ranking genotypes for FR resistance the incidence of FR has significantly reduced. It has not reduced seasonal scold, but largely prevented scold progressing into full blown FR.
Getting cleat (toe) shape and gap correct is very important........which is breeding for functionality.

In regards to Charollais and the Lincoln Cold Tolerance Test; we mirrored the test results of @neilo with all animals being in the top two tolerance groups. These were all imported live rams, imported as embryos and 1st cross animals by live rams and imported semen. Hence came to the same conclusion regarding brown fat mobilisation.

Each 'ranking' in the cold tolerance test involves a number of genes, that have been grouped together, how ever there are two stand out genes, both which a very low level in most populations. One was nick named the gene of death and for obvious reasons was very low in most populations. The other gene gave very high lamb survival but was also rarely seen, how ever my Campbell Island feral sheep had 80% of the sheep with this very high tolerance gene either as hetro or Homozygous carriers, given the location of Campbell Island and the fact that the main lambing period was June and July there must have been intense natural selection for cold tolerance.

 

[Johngee]

Who and where do people use to test for the myomax gene in there sheep?

I’ve also used Neogen at Ayr this year. As Woolless said it’s a blood sample on a piece of card, they provide the kit. Results were back in about a fortnight. Cost £12 + vat mind.

 

[scholland]

Each 'ranking' in the cold tolerance test involves a number of genes, that have been grouped together, how ever there are two stand out genes, both which a very low level in most populations. One was nick named the gene of death and for obvious reasons was very low in most populations. The other gene gave very high lamb survival but was also rarely seen, how ever my Campbell Island feral sheep had 80% of the sheep with this very high tolerance gene either as hetro or Homozygous carriers, given the location of Campbell Island and the fact that the main lambing period was June and July there must have been intense natural selection for cold tolerance.

Campbell Island certainly looks remote and a harsh environment! Still nearer to the equator than I am though

 

[NZDan]

Campbell Island certainly looks remote and a harsh environment! Still nearer to the equator than I am though

Yes it is, mind it doesn't have the luxury of a large land mass to protect it either. It would be interesting to see if Soay and other wild/feral breeds have high cold tolerance gene incidence

 

[NZDan]

Campbell Island certainly looks remote and a harsh environment! Still nearer to the equator than I am though

I just had a look at the respective weather. Not a lot of difference, Campbell about 0.5 degrees cooler than Shetland, wetter in total but wetter in summer and dryer in winter than Shetland, and more wet days 325 wet days per year!!!!!! Wind is Campbell Islands biggest feature with wind of 60mph on more than 100 days each year!!! I'm presuming that Shetland is windy like the Outer Hebridean's? So maybe not a lot different?

 

[Global ovine]

Campbell Island certainly looks remote and a harsh environment! Still nearer to the equator than I am though

There is no Gulf Stream equivalent in the sub antarctic ocean.

@NZDan from where were the original Campbell Is. sheep sourced. I know these were liberated along the trading ship route to Cape Horn from Australia to be a source of food for ship wreck survivors. If sourced from a very challenging environment, they may have already had considerable natural selection for the "top" survival genes. Genotyping for homozygosity (lack of variation via inbreeding) would be interesting. However does anybody know how numerous the original liberation was, or did only a certain line survive as they carried these superior survival genes for such an inhospitable environment.

 

[NZDan]

There is no Gulf Stream equivalent in the sub antarctic ocean.

@NZDan from where were the original Campbell Is. sheep sourced. I know these were liberated along the trading ship route to Cape Horn from Australia to be a source of food for ship wreck survivors. If sourced from a very challenging environment, they may have already had considerable natural selection for the "top" survival genes. Genotyping for homozygosity (lack of variation via inbreeding) would be interesting. However does anybody know how numerous the original liberation was, or did only a certain line survive as they carried these superior survival genes for such an inhospitable environment.

Original imports were 2000 merino and halfbred ewes in 1901 with long wool rams and 1000 halfbred rams in 1902 with Corriedale rams, there is a report of 3 cheviot rams being released but at that time (1913) there were an estimated 7-8000 sheep on the island, by 1930 when the Island farming was abandoned numbers were stable at about 4000, in the early 1950s numbers were estimated to be 5000 but by 1955 numbers had dropped to well under 1000. In 1970 the island was fenced in 1/2 and 1300 were shot on the Northern side, when they were eradicated in 1974 there were 3000 shot on the southern side if the fence. Only 10 sheep were bought off the island so is the increased rate of an other wise rare gene due to evolution in the original population or due to the founder effect of these 10 rescued sheep.

 

[yellowbelly]

I use Neogen at Ayr. Apparently they don't need a blood sample now but can use a blood spot on a card.

I’ve also used Neogen at Ayr this year. As Woolless said it’s a blood sample on a piece of card, they provide the kit.

OK guys, so the cards and, I presume, the nose pri ckers have landed in this morning's post......

...there'll be no one there 'til Monday, so anybody able to shed any light on how the nose pri cker works??
Can't see any sharp bits

TIA

 

[neilo]

OK guys, so the cards and, I presume, the nose pri ckers have landed in this morning's post......

...there'll be no one there 'til Monday, so anybody able to shed any light on how the nose pri cker works??
Can't see any sharp bits

TIA

On the one you've snapped the (blue) cap off, the 'pricker' is inside the white snouty bit. If you push that onto the nose/skin, it will make it bleed slightly, if you're lucky.

You might like to try it on your finger first....