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The Polled Gene In Wagyu

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The Polled Gene In Wagyu

THE POLLED GENE IN WAGYU

ALSO KNOWN AS THE CELTIC POLLED ALLELE

In late 2020, the Cattle Council of Australia released information on pain relief options for cattle operations, particularly for dehorning and debudding.

The practice is employed to lower the risk of bruising and injury to other cattle and animal handlers during holding, feedlots and loading. With approval for the use of Trisolfen or dehorning and debudding, farmers can now apply pain-relief in animal husbandry without the need for veterinary supervision.

Dehorning is still a painful procedure, it is recommended that dehorning and debudding occur when the calf is less than two months old, before the horn has attached to the skull. Pain relief and proper practice are recommended to minimise the impact of the procedure on the animal along with reducing the incidence of poorer animal performance in the following weeks. The pain relief guide notes that producers are encouraged to find non-surgical alternatives such as breeding for the polled gene.

The polled gene is another name given for the Celtic polled allele. It is not naturally present in Japanese Black Fullblood Wagyu, but has been introduced to Purebreds through crosses with other breeds.

The polled gene is dominant, such that homozygous (has two copies of the poll gene) polled sires are most desirable as they will always breed polled progeny, even if the progeny themselves are heterozygous (carrying one copy of the polled gene).

If a breeder started with a Fullblood sire over Angus females, 100% of the F1 progeny would be heterozygous polled and would carry one copy of the poll gene from the Angus female and one non-polled gene from the Fullblood Wagyu sire.

Successive upgrade crosses of F1 females to Fullblood Wagyu to produce F2 would give 50% phenotypically polled, and F3 would result in 25% of the progeny as polled. Continuing to Purebreds (or F4) would result in 12.5% being phenotypically polled.

Once you have phenotypically polled purebred females, mating of a heterozygous polled Purebred sire to a heterozygous polled Purebred dam gives a probability of 75% of progeny being phenotypically polled and 25% of the progeny being genetically homozygous polled.

Mating of a homozygous polled Purebred sire to a heterozygous polled Purebred dam gives a probability of 100% of progeny being phenotypically polled and 50% of the progeny being genetically homozygous polled.

The scurred condition (small, loose, horny growths in the skin where horns would be) is controlled by a different gene to the polled gene and scurs are only expressed (visible) in polled cattle with two copies of the scur gene. The scur gene is sex linked and is dominant in males and recessive in females. Breeding polled animals therefore makes it possible to select against the scurred gene and long-term selection for polledness will help to identify and eliminate scurs if scurred animals are culled.

Within the Australian Wagyu herd, a number of producers have opted to focus on the polled gene for Purebreds, without detriment to other traits. The AWA currently holds some 2,000 registered polled Purebred Wagyu.

 

Important Notice and Disclaimer

It is very important that you appreciate when viewing the AWA database that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Index values, is based on data supplied by members and/or third parties.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information reported through AWA, AWA officers and employees assume no responsibility for its content, use or interpretation. AWA disclaims all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the use by you of the data on this AWA database and the information supplied by ABRI and AGBU being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.

Regarding EBVs and Index values, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • EBVs are derived using Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN technology developed independently by the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), using the information contained within the AWA database.
  • AGBU is a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of New England, which receives funding for this purpose from Meat and Livestock Australia Limited.
  • AWA relies solely on advice provided by AGBU and ABRI in accepting Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN software.
  • EBVs published in Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype.
  • EBVs can only be directly compared to other EBVs calculated in the same monthly Wagyu Group BREEDPLAN analysis.

Regarding pedigree and DNA testing results submitted to the AWA, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Pedigree and DNA data submitted and supplied to AWA may have errors in it which cannot be detected without further DNA testing.
  • Technology may have advanced since a particular test was undertaken so that previous inaccuracies which were not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology.
  • AWA estimates that less than 1% of the pedigree entries, ownership or breeding details in the AWA Herdbook may have errors or which may be misleading. For this reason, users ought to consider if they need to obtain independent testing of the relevant animal (if possible) to ensure that the data is accurate.

Regarding prefectural content, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams.  As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated.
  • The calculation of prefectural content for Australian Herdbook animals relies on the accuracy of pedigree records and DNA samples provided by AWA members.
  • The reporting of prefectural content for animals within the AWA Herdbook relies on the calculation provided by ABRI.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and extent of the data provided on this website or the EBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek independent expert advice.

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