The quest is on to identify homozygous polled cattle or 100% polled individuals within the breed
The Hon. Gerald Turton
Demand for polled beef cattle is gaining momentum. The industry already requires dehorned animals in transit, as well as for farm and safety and welfare reasons. Also dehorning is another job that can come at a busy time on the farm; a botched job can cause fly trouble. Consequently, I believe that the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society should embrace polled cattle or risk commercial buyers choosing other breeds.
A number of Beef Shorthorn breeders have recently imported genetics from Australia and Canada, many of which are likely to be homozygous polled.
These cattle together with UK bred homozygous polled cattle have the opportunity to have that status recognised on their online pedigree certificate.
Polling is a genetic mutation. The polling gene is dominant and the horned gene is recessive. It means that animals which are visually horned must have two copies of the horned gene, however visually polled animals maybe heterozygous - they may carry one horned gene and one poll gene, or homozygous carrying two poll genes.
Only DNA testing can accurately distinguish which genes each animal carries. Two different mutations have recently been discovered that result in poll - the Celtic gene (Pc) and the Friesian gene (Pf)
If you DNA test hair from the animal’s tail you will find
Pc/Pc or Pf/Pf = homozygous polled and will be polled
N/Pc or N/Pf = heterozygous polled or scurred; the animal will carry the horned (N) gene but will be polled, however when crossed may produce a horned calf
N/N = homozygous horned and will be horned The following table will explain further.
Key: N = Horned (Not Polled), Pc = Polled Celtic, Pf = Polled Friesan
Flashback to 1888: Captain Miller of Elmore Ohio wrote that he has read an article in the Breeders Gazette featuring a small herd of naturally polled Shorthorns. He went to Minneapolis and purchased 1881 born yearling twins, Millie Gwynne and Nellie Gwynne, and a bull, King of Kine. The Gwynne twins were out of Oakwood Gwynne 4 Vol 15 ASHB, a registered cow with scurs. King of Kine was then mated to his half sister, Nellie Gwynne to produce a polled animal, the first that could be registered in the American herd book.
The Hon. Gerald Turton, Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society Director
