Following enquiry and feedback from members regarding Herefords Australia DNA regulations, in particular regulation 6.1, the following information is provided to members:
Below is Regulation 6.1:
6.1.(iii) (a) Sires of all calves (HBR & MHB registers) born after the 1st of January 2018 must be sire verified; and
(b) In the event that a sire cannot be sire verified, then all his progeny must be verified to him before registration, without exception.
The Board of Herefords Australia Limited (HAL) has given much consideration to the DNA Regulations leading up to their revision in March 2018 and since then. The following points can be made in relation to the DNA Regulations for Herefords Australia.
- The DNA Regulations have been implemented following independent legal and scientific advice obtained by the Board of HAL.
- The Board has considered all options regarding DNA requirements for animals entering the Herdbook.
- HAL has been advised that all available tools including DNA testing must be considered when setting the regulations and they must reflect ‘modern practice’. This is why the Board can’t rely on historical regulations to apply for current and future animals to be registered.
- The Board has opted against the requirement of full DNA testing and Parent Verification of all animals entering the Herdbook as this would impose too much cost and imposition on all members. Whilst this option has a large cost and imposition associated with it, it is considered the ‘gold standard’ for Herdbook regulations.
- The above regulation was a compromise and the most pragmatic approach to meeting HAL’s obligations to the integrity of the Herdbook with limited imposition on members.
- The implementation of this regulation is primarily to ensure the integrity of the Herdbook and to help protect members from any future issues arising from incorrect pedigrees in the Herdbook.
- The Performance Register (HPR) is available for members who do not want to individually sire verify calves (as per above regulation) and allows members to receive performance data (EBVs) and then choose which calves are sire verified and moved to the Herdbook.
- The value that Herdbook (HBR) registered animals have is largely due to the existence of the Herdbook (HBR) and associated Regulations
Our recommendation to members who have calves sired by bulls that cannot be Sire Verified is to do the following:
- If you would like all calves to be registered in the Herdbook (HBR), then submit DNA samples for each calf so that they can be verified to their sire.
- If you only wish to register some of the calves in the Herdbook (HBR), then to do the following:
- Initially register all calves in the Performance Register (HPR).
- Only submit DNA and Sire Verify those calves that you want moved from the Performance Register (HPR) to the Herdbook (HBR).
- The Performance Register (HPR) is ideally placed as a register that does not have the DNA requirements of the Herdbook (HBR) but allows for full pedigree and performance recording, along with the ability to then DNA verify and move to Herdbook (HBR) if required.
The current cost of a basic DNA test for Parent Verification is $30.80 per calf.
For more information regarding the Herefords Australia DNA requirements and Registers, please contact the Herefords Australia Office.
