Faulty cattle gene found

By LIAM DANN

Boviquest, the joint venture between Livestock Improvement and Fonterra's Vialactia, has identified a naturally occurring genetic defect which manifests itself as a malformation in newborn calves.

Boviquest has uncovered the specific gene responsible, enabling testing of sires to screen out the defect.

The condition is called epidermolysis bullosa. In simple terms, various layers of skin fail to adhere to one another and affected animals must be destroyed.

Livestock Improvement Corporation has one of the largest progeny testing programmes in the world, with more than 400 farms testing semen from potential artificial breeding bulls.

Its genetics general manager, Peter Gatley, said it was this intensive evaluation that revealed the pattern of inheritance.