Inheritance of vertical fiber hide defect in cattle

Area of Science:

• Animal Genetics
• Dermatology
• Veterinary Science

Background:

• Vertical Fiber Hide Defect (VFHD) is a structural collagen abnormality affecting cattle hides.
• This defect leads to reduced leather quality and economic value.
• Understanding the inheritance pattern is crucial for genetic management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the mode of inheritance for VFHD in Hereford cattle.
• To investigate the genetic basis of this collagen fiber defect.
• To provide insights for breeding strategies to reduce VFHD prevalence.

Main Methods:

• Histological analysis of hide biopsies from 465 Hereford cattle.
• Pedigree analysis including 44 offspring-dam pairs.
• Controlled crossbreeding experiments between affected and unaffected cattle.

Main Results:

• Offspring and parental frequency distributions suggested autosomal recessive inheritance.
• Mating VFHD x VFHD produced all affected offspring (5/5).
• Mating VFHD x non-VFHD (Angus) produced no affected offspring (0/12).

Conclusions:

• VFHD is confirmed to be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.
• This genetic understanding aids in developing selection and crossbreeding strategies.
• Reducing the phenotypic frequency of VFHD is achievable through targeted breeding programs.