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Post by sklabnik on Apr 8, 2008 7:32:07 GMT -5
Hello to all!
Since my daughter post pictures of her calves, two of which have red markings, questions were raised about this recessive gene.
When the British White Cattle Society-UK came stateside in 2006, there was dinner meeting held in Quincy, IL. This subject was brought to the floor. Does any one in attendance remember the dialogue?
Steve Klabnik
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Post by gwenger on Apr 8, 2008 20:34:09 GMT -5
My understanding is that red genes are a recessive gene in the breed and both the sire and dam must carry the gene in order to actually get red points.
The same is true of scurrs, the little things that grow where horns would but wiggle and are not attached to the scull. Again it is my understanding that it comes from a recessive gene that both sire and dam must carry.
A few years ago I bought a red pointed bull and used him for a year. I have a few red eared cattle now. I agree with Steve that they do draw attention. I like the red if it is a good dark red.
Larry or Kevin maybe you can shed some light on the discussion with the folks from England about the red gene. Larry what I just posted I learned from you so please correct me if I am wrong.
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Post by larry on Apr 9, 2008 16:26:44 GMT -5
Glenn, You are right about the Red Genes and the Horn/Scur genetics. You must have the trait on both the sire and dam side. You can get a red or horn calf when niether sire or dam show that characteristic (both have recessive gene).
I have several red pointed cows and so far this year all of the red pointed cows have given me black marked calves. I do have 4 red marked calves out of black marked cows. Today I got a nearly solid black calf sired by the neighbors Angus bull...such is life. If you want to find out if your cows carry the red gene, using a red pointed bull will help but will still not be a perfect test. Larry
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Post by colewood on Feb 17, 2009 10:20:59 GMT -5
I realize that the last time this was discussed was almost a year ago, but I'll give it a shot anyway. One of my professors here at SUNY Cobleskill is into the red gene in Holstein cattle (we're in Upstate NY. Dairy rules here.) He and I are having a series of "intellectual conversations" about it. He told me that there are cows and bulls that carry the red gene, which is not news to any of us, but what is interesting (to me anyway), is that there are animals that carry this Black-Red gene. Basically with this, the animal is born with red markings, but over time, the red turns to black. This happens with varying degrees of intensity (some animals will be "blacker" than others). Has anyone ever had that with their White Parks? I think I might have, but I'm not sure, so I am going to ask him when I see him again.
~Tracey
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Post by larry on Feb 17, 2009 20:30:13 GMT -5
Tracey,
It is not uncommon for red points (actually more of a brown color) at birth to turn black. Often the calf will have both black and "red" at birth. Usually by weaning time the red has turned to black. I have never seen true red color points to change to black.
More unusual is having one color Points with the nose being a different color. Sometimes the nose changes but often it does not.
Larry
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Post by colewood on Feb 18, 2009 18:01:18 GMT -5
You're right. I was looking at pictures of her yesterday after I posted...she had blackish ears, and then they turned redish, and now they are blackish again. I registered her as a black pointed animal. I have never seen the nose change color. The heifer I mentioned has a black nose, and I wasn't sure what to do there when her ears were red and her nose was black! but it's all good now. Thanks for your input! Tracey
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jwest
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by jwest on Mar 13, 2009 17:23:41 GMT -5
The dark reddish color in an otherwise black pointed British White is most likely due to a copper deficiency. You can provide them with an added copper mineral and it helps that a lot. The same thing happens with Angus cattle.
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Post by Sherry on May 2, 2009 23:20:40 GMT -5
I just re read this post and am curious what will happen with the heifer born in March. She had a slight red hint to her ears at birth, with lighter hoofs and a black nose, but as time has gone by, the ears have gotten a good bit redder. I guess time will tell with her.
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Post by sklabnik on Nov 23, 2009 21:25:02 GMT -5
Sherry,
Did your heifer change in color?
Steve
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