A2/A2 milk

I think the problem with this kind of research is that different people with different bodies react in different ways to different variables. My entire family doesn't have any of the health problems there listed as the BCM-7 being linked to. And we are from a line of dairy men. I wish I knew more about the way to conduct real research. Did they only use processed A1 milk in their tests? Most big dairies are advocates of processed milk not raw. Big dairies is where most of the research took place, right? Where were their people test subjects found? So many different issues come into play in diet and research that I wonder how they can ever get to the real bottom of anything. My son is a researcher and it's his pet peeve. People publish tests that don't follow any kind of scientific protocol and it's believed because it's a test...and it proves something. I just don't know enough about it to get to the bottom of the research. There are those that think the testing is flawed...but some think raw milk being beneficial is also flawed test results. See?

If I could find an A2 cow, I'd buy it over an A1 cow...but if they thought they were going to charge me double because she's A2, I'd opt for the A1 version. Just me.

5 days can make or break a deal when you've found a nice jersey around here. They get snapped up fast.

Callieslamb,

I think you have a great point. All the dairies I contacted yesterday all quoted me prices over two thousand dollars.. umm... I'll be honest, I cannot afford that price tag. I checked some local listings and there seems to be Jerseys in the area from private owners who are asking a much more reasonable price. Hopefully I can find someone in the spring. Ya know, probably any milk given by a personal family cow is going to be better than the stuff from the store.

It's too bad that we can't KNOW. Or maybe I should say, that I don't have enough confidence in the research to say "Yes, I believe this". A "Link" to an illness means what? People with this illness have this in common? And we'll never know what people are genetically predisposed to certain ills either. We looked at so many things that it was exhausting. This is better than that, don't live without this berry, don't use this and this...some people even keep track of ingredient in shampoo that have been linked to cancer and alzheimers. I can't keep up with it all. In the end, we decided to grow as much as we can for ourselves and cut ourselves a break on the rest. If we eliminate as many chemicals as we can - it's about as good as my family can get.

Good luck finding a cow that's just right for you.

The research on A2 milk was not started to prove or disprove anything about A2 vs. A1 beta casein. In fact, when the research was started, nobody even knew A1 beta casein even existed.

It started when tribesmen from the surrounding island near New Zealand migrated to the mainland. Diabetes was almost unknown on the islands, but began occurring in the tribesmen on the mainland at an alarming rate.

The research was ordered to discover the cause of the cases of diabetes. I don't know how long it took to make the connection, but somehow they found that it seemed to be the mainland milk which was involved.

There were cattle on the islands. Had been for a very long time. The islanders drank milk from their cows. Yet almost no diabetes.

It was found that the milk from the island cows was different from the mainland milk. The mainland milk had a different form of beta casein in it. This form of beta casein was previously unknown and couldn't be found in any other mammal's milk. It was unique to cattle. It was given the name A1, with the form found in all other mammals named A2.

It was assumed that A1 beta casein must have been a mutation that occurred in a cow, probably a dairy cow of really good production. By reproducing her, they would have spread the mutation.

She was a Bos Taurus, a European bovine. Bos Indicus cattle for the most part, missed getting the mutation that causes A1 beta casein. The island cattle were Bos Indicus, but had been isolated from contact with mainland cattle, so they didn't get the A1 mutation.

From here, the research gets technical, delving into how the A1 beta casein does it's work. This is the source of a lot of controversy. Others have done research to attempt to discredit the conclusions about how it works.

The original research was done at the behest of the government of New Zealand, on behalf of it's citizens. The rebuttal research was spurred by the mainland dairy industry, to defend the reputation of their dairies.

For the most part, the entire dairy industry in New Zealand has quietly capitulated and converted to all A2/A2 herds, producing milk that is free of any A1 beta casein. The last report I read said that the conversion is practically complete.

Australia is not too far behind.

An attempt was made to do the same here in the USA. A single dairy was converted to producing pure A2 milk. Sales and public acceptance were less than expected. The Dairy continues to produce A2 dairy products and distribute them exclusively through Hy-Vee stores.

We were able to convince the A2 Corporation to let us use their DNA test for determining whether a bovine has the genetics to produce A1 or A2 beta casein or a mix of the two, for private owners. No dairies can use the test we use. The hope here is that once people can identify their family cows and switch to A2 milk for their families, we will create a ground swell and a demand for A2 milk, so the commercial dairies will be obliged to follow suit.

One of these days, all the milk sold in America will be free of A1 beta casein. I can't wait for the day.

If it saves just one child from living a life with type 1 diabetes, I will be happy.

This is interesting information. Thank you for your knowledge. Hey, do you know what dairy's name is selling the A/2 to hy-vee stores? I shop there every week. Probably wont buy milk again, having my own. Just curious. Interesting how things can change so quickly.

__________________
“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as a sorry state as the souls who live under tyranny." ~ Thomas Jefferson.

Could this all be a scam by the company to get you to just use their cows/bulls?? Kind of fishy since before this time milk was mainly determined by percentage of butter fat. Just my two cents...

I rather doubt that. Select Sires and other semen companies all have A2A2 bulls available. I can see where the Holstein breeders would be unhappy with the info. I see a lot of Guernsey/Holstein cross calves all of a sudden around here. I think they are after the A2A2 gene from the Guernseys.

I don't see how the story about the island affects Type 1 diabetes...which is what A1 milk is supposed to be linked to. Did the post listing the diseases mean Type 2 diabetes? Type 1 is the type you are born with and quite different than Type 2 diabetes that you develop over your lifetime. Did they study the fact that the milk was the only difference in their diets? Or were their other differences?

Hankshaw: - I don't think it's a scam to get people to use their bulls. AI companies have both types of bulls. I had to talk my AI guy into looking up which of their bulls were A2.

I also don't think it's a shoe-in that every Guernsey is A2/A2. Most are but not all if I remember correctly.

In my lifetime, coffee, butter, beef, red wine and numerous other foods were first "proven" to kill you and then later "proven" to be healthy. Call me skeptical, but I won't test my current cows or any bought in the future. Any raw milk from a healthy well cared for cow has to be healthier than anything factory processed.

You aren't actually born with type 1. Even before the A1/A2 information started coming out there was suspicion among some researchers that milk was contributing to type 1 diabetes via an auto-immune reaction to certain milk proteins getting into the bloodstream via the gut.

The only dairy that produced and sold A2 milk in the US was the Prairieland Dairy in Firth, Nebraska. They sold their products through Hy-Vee Stores only.

Today, I can't say whether they still produce milk that is free of A1 beta casein. They did in 2008 and 2009, but I haven't kept track of them since.

Here's a link to their web site:

Prairieland Dairy

Ok, I have bought prairie Land before. I didn't know they were trying to do A2 milk products only.

__________________
“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as a sorry state as the souls who live under tyranny." ~ Thomas Jefferson.

Has anyone had their animals tested? The hair sample says they need 20-30 hairs with roots. But no one gives any ideas on how? Just brush the animal? Tape?
I am about to breed 4 jersey's and would love to test them and then breed for the A2 gene since I am looking to sell to homesteaders for family milk cows.

You have to pull the hairs, so you get roots. That's what they test, not the hair shafts.

Wash your hands first and have a clean envelope ready to put the hairs in.

Pick a spot on the cow's tail switch that is clean and free of manure. Quickly twist a strand of hair about 1/8" in diameter around a finger and yank, hard. The cow will hardly flinch.

Look closely to make sure you got roots on the hairs and enough of them. Put the hairs in the envelope.

Wash your hands and use a fresh envelope if you take a sample from another cow, to avoid cross-contamination.

Go to the lab site, create an account and order the test. Tape your tail hairs to the services order and mail it in with payment.

Cattle Tests

genebo,
Thank you so much. I got logged into their website last night. There were just no instructions on getting the hairs. So they only need a couple not 20-30?

No. they do need as many as they say. 40 is the number I always try to get. After all, once you're pulling hairs, you might as well pull enough.

I always pull enough to save a sample for the future. Just in case they come up with a new disease or inherited condition.

Just in case I missed something, here's the instructions on how to pull tail hairs from the Canadian Angus Association:


Instructions for Collecting Hair Samples

The hair samples should be collected from the tip of the tail of the animal (switch).

Make sure that the hair is clean, free from urine and manure. Dirty samples will not be processed.

Comb or brush the tail to remove dead hair.

Wrap about five hair strands around your finger, approximately 2 inches (5 cm) from the base of the tail, and then give a sharp pull. Inspect the hair and make sure the follicles are attached. Pull about 20 hairs per animal.

Secure the hair together with adhesive tape, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the follicles. Place the sample into the provided hair envelope. Seal the envelope immediately and identify the sample by writing the name, tattoo and registration number of the animal on the outside. Place one sample per envelope.

If collecting more than one sample or sampling different animals, make sure to clean hands, combs and brushes between animals to minimize cross-contamination.

Place the hair sample envelope and completed DNA form into a larger envelope and mail

Thanks . I looked everywhere on the UC Davis site for more info and came up with nothing. Cool, I guess I have a tail or two to wash and get to pulling. They aren't going to like me!

Knapps' Guernseys

A2 testing is becoming more common and is very easy. I tested my girls through the dexter registry Legacy. Legacy uses Cal Davis and I believe it costs $25 ea. You just fill out the sheet and send them tail hairs; pulled out so the roots are attached.

Luckily all three of my girls are A2/A2 and are bred to a great A2/A2 bull. We will be expecting calves Apr/May, and will be available at weaning. They are registered, dual purpose dexters with exc. blood lines.

Saw this girl on CL not too far away. They've got her advertised as a Jersey, but I see Jersey/Angus. I'd be tempted if I could test her. She has some nice tits!

3 yr old jersey milk cow for sale