twistedhshowstock said:
Jody, unfortunately you are very correct in that. Which is why Lautner will be succesful promoting this bull as a maternal sire. Some people just dont care, or they have enough money that loosing 1/4 of their herd and calf crop is a small enough risk to take in the endeavor to produce that one once in a lifetime steer.
To go one step further, I think there are two types of people out there, those who gamble with double dirty matings, and those who just want the defect present.. I think there is a difference in people who do this, even though I feel both ways is wrong; but then again who am I to tell somebody what kind of cattle they raise, or how to spend their money.
I see and hear about more single carrier heifers being retained and promo bulls, than double dirty ones. I think it boils down to if you mate a PHA carrier cow, to a THC bull... you EXPECT to get a double dirty, shaggy legged, monster stout steer calf. Not only that, but your mating options are endless, almost. Whereas if you mate a double dirty heifer to a clean bull, most feel the calf will be worthless- even though the odds of double dirty are just the same, 50:50. I think it's seen more prevelent in the people who want to hedge and get the dirty show calf, as opposed to those who mate carrier to carrier. Even though there are plenty that I do not know about, nor care to.
Now before somebody jumps my case, yes I have one cow that is a carrier of PHA, but she was made before we knew about any of these genetic defects, and has been one of our best producers her entire life; the only reason I found to cull her would have been her carrier status. I'm sure the folks at Cargill, or wherever it is that our steers end up, don't mind having a little PHAC in that steak. Also to date, that cow has never had a heifer calf-- maybe it's a sign I should not keep her any longer??? And to go one step closer to the fire-- yes I have bred with THC and PHAC bulls... But I'll be damned if any of their carrier calves were retained, and not butchered (heifers included). I can also guarentee that the remaining straws have been disposed of, or sold to somebody who wants to propagate these carrier cattle.
ETA- I wish I owned a share in one of the genetic testing companies... This genetic carrier testing, IMO will get far worser, before it gets better...