We bred Dexter cattle

We bred Dexter cattle. Dexter cattle are an interesting breed for their hardiness and the history as “survivor cows” and house cows”. They have docile temperaments, easy calving, forage ability and feed efficiently. They are a combination of both meat and milk cattle. About a year and a half ago we bought a bull for our three girls. We named him Felix. We had never heard about the Chondrodysplasia gene. We thought he was going for a good price and brought him home. He had a very big head and was rather stocky and beefy. I was concerned that he may be too short to cover the girls but he managed well and nine months later we had two beautiful baby calves. Because of his short build he easily got under fences and wires. He became painfully naughty escaping into the nearby fields filled with Angus heifers. Johnny and I decided at the time he was ready to put in the deep freeze and a week before his calves were born we said goodbye to him. Now that may be offensive to some but it must be understood that we are a hobby farm that raises our own beef. It’s the course of a cows life.
Recently I found that I have reason to believe Felix was a carrier. One of the calves had the “dwarfism” look and the other not. Now that I know better, it would explain the way Felix looked - his big head and extra short legs. I’ve still got a lot to learn about the gene and am not sure if its taboo or not. Some folk will not be concerned about it and others will start a witchhunt about it. I’m not too sure where about I fall into this category yet but am glad I realised what had happened to us. We have sold the two calves and the new owners know about the gene. They are not concerned about it but I feel a certain responsibility to them. I contacted them and offered to buy the calves back from them. They wouldn’t hear of it but I told them at any stage if they changed their mind the offer stands. There is a test one can do which I will be using in the future to clarify any ambiguity on this topic. I have attached an article from Glad hour Farm in the USA. Hopefully I can teach/warn a few newbies in the area about this topic and you won’t make the same mistake we did. The danger in this gene is extensive and on many levels. I’m disappointed in the farmer who sold Felix to us. He took us for a ride and we were ignorance of where we were going. This experience called farming never ceases to amaze me. It is trial and error.

This is an article published by Gladhour Farm situated in the USA. Recently I was confronted with this very dilemma and thought it worth posting so others could learn and not be led astray as we were.

What about Chondrodysplasia?
Chondrodysplasia is a genetic issue, not contagious, and not a disease. It is a kind of dwarfism present in the Dexter breed, just as many breeds have a form of dwarfism. Not all Dexters carry the gene for this kind of dwarfism, and there is a DNA test now available which makes it easier to know which animals carry it and which don't—although experienced breeders have been able to guesstimate for many years (with varying degrees of success) by looking at an animal. It is probably this visual method of trying to distinguish which gave rise to the terms "shortleg" and "longleg" Dexters. The body type of the "shortleg" Dexter is often "beefier" and shorter; chondrodysplasia carriers typically have this body type, but not all Dexters with this body type and short legs are chondrodysplasia carriers. This is the reason I try to call my cattle which carry this gene "carriers," or even better "chondro-carriers." Others call them "dwarfs," "shortlegs," or "affected." The Dexters which do not have the gene at all are called "non-carriers" of chondro (my preference), or "normal," or "longleg," or "homozygous normal" or "unaffected."

The "bulldog" calf, a non-viable fetus/newborn, results from the calf inheriting this chondrodysplasia gene from BOTH parents. The statistical probability of a calf getting the gene from a mating of two carrier parents should be 25%. If both parents are carriers, there should also be a 50% chance of getting a "carrier" calf, and a 25% chance of getting a non-carrier or homozygous normal calf. From a mating of carrier and non-carrier, the statistical probability is supposed to be 50% for a calf of either of those types (no chance for bulldog). From a mating of two non-carriers, the only result is a non-carrier.

If this is clear enough, the buyer should be able to choose his/her own goals. Many breeds have made a concerted effort to rid themselves of genetic anomalies. In the case of Dexters, a minor if not rare breed, breeders and associations must decide whether the gene pool will be more helped or hurt by efforts to do such at this time; and individual breeders may decide whether the chondro gene appears to have any value for survival or temperament or aesthetics or market or any number of things. Custodians of a rare breed must be especially careful not to burn bridges and to take a long view for the betterment of the breed, and even new breeders will do well to look beyond their pocketbooks to the survival of the breed as a whole. Good, conscientious breeders are of mixed opinion on this at this time.