Dexter genetics question

[Maria]

If a short legged bull out of long legged parents is bred to a short legged cow of unknown parentage- what are the chances of a bull dog calf?

[wstevenl]

Well, Maria, a short legged bull can't come from two long legged parents if you mean short legged to be a carrier and long legged to be a non-carrier. Because if you have two non carriers they can't get the gene from no where to pass onto to the calf, it has to come from one of them. So either one of the parents are short legged, or the bull isn't really a short legged.

But if you have two tested carriers (short legged) and breed them together I believe it's a 25% chance of a bulldog calf.

[Maria]

No, I meant what I said, but maybe I was wrong about both parents being long legged.
Here's the parents:


Here's the offspring:


I thought that the sire was long legged since his legs look longer than the son's, but now that I've read up on it a bit I guess it isn't likely.

[Maria]

And they all have longer legs than my cow, so maybe none of these are shortlegged? edit: this is my cow, I mean. Her legs look shorter than all of those others.

[wstevenl]

To me the cow does look really short, shorter legged than any of mine anyways. The young bull doesn't have any shorter legs than my bull calf that has been tested to be a non-carrier.

Truly the only way to tell is to have an animal tested. But, if BOTH are short legged, there is a 25% chance of a bulldog calf if the bull ends up not being a carrier then there is no chance.

If you weren't pressed for time I'd say to get the bull tested.

I plan on always having a long legged bull and don't mind having short legged cows.

[Maria]

Well, she is standing in 3-4 inch grass, and is very pregnant, so she looks shorter than she is, I guess.

I'm considering buying the young bull, he's not mine. How does one go about getting them tested? And how much does that cost?

[wstevenl]

I haven't had any tested yet, my bull was tested right before I bought him. I think Texas A&M does it. You could contact most Dexter breeders to find out, or contact the ADCA or PDCA to find out how to do it.

http://www.dextercattle.org/
http://www.purebreddextercattle.org/Leadership.htm

http://www.thomasdexters.com/index.asp?ID=48 - This has some more information on the gene and who does the testing.

[Maria]

Thanks. I'll see if I can find out if either of them has ever been tested before.

[genebo]

What are their registration numbers? If they were tested and had the results turned over to the ADCA, it will be listed in the on-line pedigree.

Genebo
Paradise Farm