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Meet Your
President's Message
CANADIAN LOWLINE ASSOCIATION 2015-2016 DIRECTORS
Cathy Monteith, President - Edam, SK
We first got our Lowlines in 2010 when we bought a
small herd from Ken Lindahl in Wetaskawin. I became
a director of the Canadian Lowline Association in
2012 and am President this year. With my husband Lee
and children Melissa and James we have Honeybrook
Lowlines and raise both Fullblood and Percentage
animals.
Laurie Brunsdon, Vice President - Vernon, BC
Silverhills Lowlines is located on the edge of the
Monashee Mountains east of Vernon B.C. We raise
Fullblood and Percentage Lowlines. We promote a
grass raised animal without hormones and only use
antibiotics if necessary. We now have a location in
Lumby that sells our meat at a retail facility, the Lumby
Community Market. We are pleased to see the breed
growing in popularity as they are a great animal for this
area.
Russell Crawford, Past President - Victoria, BC
I have been a board member since 2010. We run
approximately 120 Fullblood Lowline Angus and
percentage cattle. We believe with other members
of the board that Lowline Angus cattle have a place
in the commercial market place, and we are actively
expanding and promoting these cattle to the industry.
Should anyone have any questions regarding
the breed please feel free to email me at
info@highpointlowlines.com
Darrell Gotaas, Director - Edmonton, AB
Darrell Gotaas resides in Edmonton, Alberta and
has been involved with Lowline cattle since 1999.
Darrell, along with his wife Barbara, his father Paul,
and herdsman Murray Skippen, operate Big Island
Lowlines. It began with the purchase of 20 Australian
embryos and 3 heifers and a flush cow from the original
Australian import that started the Canadian herd.
Darrell has been a member of the Board since 2006,
and served as President from 2006 through 2014.
Melanie Guttner, Director - Pink Mountain, BC
Pinnacle Lowlines is owned and operated by Andy and Melanie Guttner of Pink
Mountain, British Columbia Canada. We have been married for 25 years.
Andy was born and raised in Germany, received his apprenticeship as a Millwright,
and moved to Canada in 1986. Melanie was born and raised in Louisiana, graduated
by correspondence and moved to Canada in 1982. We bought our current ranch
at Pink Mountain in 1994, where along with our Lowline operation we also raise
and sell registered Jersey cattle, Old Style German Shepherds, Heritage Chickens,
quality meats and organic honey. We have two children. Our daughter Sonja is
21 years old, and our son Christopher is 18 years old. We are very excited that
our daughter Sonja now has her own growing herd of registered Lowlines under
the prefix of Eagle Ridge Lowlines. Our Lowline and other operations are run as
family businesses. We first became interested in Lowlines in February 2008. After
extensive research comparing them to other beef breeds, we decided to purchase
our foundation Lowline herd in the summer of 2008, from Ron and Joan Freed
of Cottonwood Lowlines. Due to our remote location, our Lowlines are required
to eat snow for their winter source of water and are pastured year round. The
Lowlines have proven they can survive and thrive in our harsh environment. We
are currently focusing on the older proven bloodlines that are noted for their ability
to produce grass fed progeny, with the traits needed in today’s beef operations. We
are proud to be a part of developing some of the most hardy grass fed Lowlines
available in North America. Pinnacle Lowlines is currently the most northern
breeders of grass fed Lowlines in North America.
Monika Herter, Director - Leduc, AB
Hello, my name is Monika Herter. I have been a Board member since November
2014. My responsibilities are Promotion and Membership. I will do my best to
promote the Lowlines and explain why it is important to become a member. I try to
make it exiting to be a member. My husband and I are the owners of Big Mountain
Lowline. We are proud to own a little herd and be happy to help the people in our
neighborhood to learn more about the Lowline.
It is amazing to note that the Lowline breed will celebrate its 20th year
anniversary in 2016. The breed has survived despite BSE, a drought and the
stigma that it was a passing fad that would go the way of the Ostriches and
Emus.
Well the breed not only survived, but has prospered and there is renewed
enthusiasm and excitement as we approach this anniversary year. There are
two shows to head out and lend support in whatever ways you can- IPE
in Armstrong BC over the Labor Day weekend and the National show at
Farmfair in early November. There will be other events planned to promote
the breed in different regions, an example being the Get to Know Lowlines day
planned for June 18th just outside of Saskatoon. I encourage everyone to take
their animals out to display at local shows and fairs.
The board of directors worked hard in 2015 and finally got the DNA parentage
testing brought into the 21st century with a switch to SNP methodologya cheaper and more robust testing method. Details are outlined in this
magazine. We are now on par with the USA method of parentage testing.
The registration fees have also been lowered to encourage the registration of
more animals.
An association is only as strong as its members, so I encourage everyone to
become active in the association and if you have ideas or projects that you
want to see done communicate them to the board, but be prepared to be an
active participant in whatever project you suggest.
I look forward to an exciting year and wish everyone success in their Lowline
related endeavors.
Cathy
Registration Changes
For the past year we have been working on changing how we DNA verify
our cattle for parentage. We are transitioning from microsatellite array to
SNP testing. We are almost there! When you go to register an animal you
will receive a DNA form to be sent to Delta Genomics. On the form you
will have two choices: SNP or SNP/Micro. If you are registering a calf, and
both of its parents are SNP tested then you would choose SNP testing. If you
are registering a calf and both parents are not SNP tested then you will have
to choose SNP/Microsatellite testing. This will then parent verify the calf
through microsatellite array and also SNP test the calf so it has its SNP test
going forward. There is a price difference between these tests.
The cost of registering cattle will be going down. Firstly, we have dropped
our registration fees for fullbloods from $50.00 to $40.00 and our percentage
registrations from $40.00 to $25.00. For DNA testing prices, please see the
CLRC fee schedule for up to date pricing.
The choices for DNA testing will be as follows. If you desire you can have all
cattle that are presently registered retested with SNP testing which will allow
you to then choose the cheaper SNP testing for registering their calves. If the
parents are not SNP tested then the calves will have to have both microsatellite
and SNP testing done. The price will likely rise in the future if both tests are
required. The goal is to transition to as close to 100% SNP testing for parentage
as is possible. In the future there may always be a very low number of calves
that will still require both- for example embryo calves.
The board has also extended the length of time that animals up to 24m can
be registered at the lower $40.00 fee. This is to accommodate the number of
animals have not been registered due to the delays in getting the SNP testing
made available.
New Membership Incentive
Any new member will be given a refund on for the registration fee on the
first calf they register. This is in effect for the first 2 years of membership.
If anyone has any questions, please contact us and we will be glad to answer
your questions
Sincerely
The Board of Directors
1
Table of Contents
Meet Your Directors.................................................................................. 1
President’s Message................................................................................... 1
Registration Changes................................................................................ 1
Canadian Lowline Cattle Association Member Directory.................. 6
Breeder Profile.......................................................................................... 8
Show Round Up....................................................................................... 14
Get To Know Lowlines Weekend.......................................................... 15
Why A Lowline - From A Junior’s Perspective................................... 16
Vaccination Protocols............................................................................ 18
A Breeder’s…Veterinary Perspective................................................... 26
Wessex Lowlines..................................................................................... 22
Value of Collecting Phenotypes............................................................ 24
Interior Provincial Exhibition............................................................... 27
20th Anniversary in Canada................................................................. 28
2
WHERE
y
t
i
l
a
u
Q
IS FOUND
Stop by to
see our quality
Registered Angus
and Registered
Midline Angus.
Our focus on breeding
top Midline heifers
and bulls is exceeding
our expectations.
STUMBLES CREEK RANCH
MIKE & LYNNE WRIGHT
Box 2051 I Merritt BC V1K 1B8 I P: 250-378-4996 I F: 250-378-4991 I E: mlwright1@telus.net
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4
5
Candadian Lowline Cattle
Association Member Directory
Alberta
Pat Andrusiak & Gordon Young
Star, AB
780-895-2715
Email: pandrusiak@mcsnet.ca
Lyle & Gwen Black
Westlock, AB
Email: lblack@mcsnet.ca
780-307-3607
Marc & Suzanne Dumaine
Millarville, AB
403-931-9121
Email: suzid@shaw.ca
Clinton & Joanne Erickson
Elk Point, AB
780-724-2245
Email: cj_rvrview@hotmail.com
Darrell & Barbara Gotaas
Edmonton AB
780-486-7553
Email: drgotaas@telus.net
Paul B Gotaas
Edmonton, AB
780-434-8059
Thomas & Monika Herter
Leduc, AB
780-387-7473
Email: tmherter@hotmail.com
Quentin & Karin Jespersen
Duffield AB
780-915-4257
Email: j6cattleranch@gmail.com
Mary Peevey
Drumheller, AB
403-823-9560
Email: mary2602@telus.net
Karen & Ronald Sobey
Sturgeon County, AB
Email: rksobey@aol.com
780-939-5812
Twa Cattle Company Ltd.
High River, AB
403-652-9903
Email: kyletwa1@gmail.com
Junior Members
Cameron Mosher
Emilie Skippen
Russell Crawford
Victoria, BC
250-478-5035
Email: info@highpointlowlines.com
Andy & Melanie Guttner
Pink Mountain, BC
250-772-5711
Email: butterkupfarms@yahoo.ca
250-537-5761
Herman Huijskamp
Kelowna, BC
250-765-2126
Email: hermanhuyskamp@shaw.ca
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Charlie & Bryan Jacques
Abbotsford, BC
Email: cjacques@shaw.ca
Camille Talbot
Mirabel, QC
450-434-6245
Email: camtalbot@hotmail.com
604-756-0946
Laurie Brunsdon & Kevin Tiede
Lumby, BC
250-547-6465
Email: littlecow@telus.net
Debbie & Chip Wood
Coldstream, BC
250-305-6162
Email: ducati_35@hotmail.com
Mike & Lynne Wright
Merritt, BC
250-378-4996
Email mlwright1@telus.net
Stewart Zaleschuk & Tony Spina
Lumby, BC
Junior Members
Sonja Guttner
Jax Jackson
Nash Jackson
Manitoba
John & Nadiene Frank
Darlingford, MB
204-246-2383
Email: jnfrank@mymts.net
Ontario
Tim & Enid Lyttle
Bowmanville, ON
905-263-4358
Email: tim.lyttle47@gmail.com
James & Frances Quin
Spencerville, ON
Email: francespat@sympatico.ca
Walkabout Ranch
St. Charles, ON
705-867-0565
Email: walkaboutkathy@gmail.com
Prince Edward Island
British Columbia
Caroline Hickman
Salt Spring Island, BC
Colby & Meagan Jackson
Falkland, BC
Judy Burgoyne & Michael Landry
Crapaud, PE
902-566-5269
Email: ridintherein@gmail.com
Margaret Younker
Brackley, PE
902-368-1501
Email: huntervalleyfarm@hotmail.com
Quebec
Martin Beaulieu
L’islet, QC
418-247-7839
Email: martin.beaulieu@ouellet.com
Saskatchewan
Brian & Brenda Chicoine
Storthoaks, SK
306-449-2290
Email: bchicoine@sasktel.net
Ed Machart
Saskatoon, SK
306-291-3111
Email: Livingskylowlines@gmail.com
Cathy & Lee Monteith
Edam, SK
306-845-7897
Email: cmonteith@littleloon.ca
Perry & Shari Richard
Hepburn, SK
306-861-4725
Email: perry@paintedpostlowlines.ca
Carissa Richard
Hepburn, SK
306-891-9574
Email: carissa@paintedpostlowlines.ca
Junior Members
Melissa Monteith
James Monteith
INTERNATIONAL
Ireland
David & Tara Haslett
+44-7710-378
Email: david.haslett@btinternet.com
United Kingdom
A M & S E Humphreys
Shepton Beauchamp
+44 14602493
Email: farm@jhmaritime.com
Wessex Lowlines
Blandford, Dorset
Email: mail@wessexlowines.com
John Whalley
Saffron Walden Essex
44-1799-5400
Email: johnwhalley01@gmail.com
United States of America
Idaho Lowline Cattle Co.
Diana Lillefloren
Hayden, ID
208-215-4460
Email: ILCCDI@yahoo.com
Muddy Creek Ranch
Wilsall, MT
406-600-7179
Email: info@muddycreekranchlowlines.com
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In 1999, Paul Gotaas began to think about how
he might spend his time and energy when at some
point in the future he would retire from his profession
of dentistry. Paul had long had a passion for horses,
cattle, trying new things, and a challenge. When Paul
heard about some “smaller black
Paul & Arlene
cattle” that had recently arrived
in Alberta, he found his way to
Ted Jansen and soon became
convinced that Lowline was a
breed that he wanted to become
involved with. Paul shared
his enthusiasm regarding the
efficiency of Lowline cattle with
his wife Arlene, his son Darrell,
and his daughter-in-law Barbara.
In the fall of 1999, Big Island Lowlines (named after
the island in the North Saskatchewan River just below
Darrell and Barb’s place) purchased 20
Paul, Matthew & Sarah
embryos that were transplanted into
20 Holstein heifers at Alta Genetics. At
the same time, Greta MLP (daughter
of the great Australian donor cow
Mugga Ellen) and three ET heifer
calves Alta Paulie, Alta Mattie, and Alta
Sarah (named after Darrell and Barb’s
children) were purchased. The implant
program produced 7 bull and 7 heifer
calves in the fall of 2000.
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Big Island Lowlines began their involvement in
the exhibition and promotion
Paul & Alta Grizz
of the Lowline breed at Farmfair
International in Edmonton, Alberta
in the fall of 2000 with exhibition of
the first Lowline at Farmfair, a 7 day
old bottle fed ET bull calf, Alta Grizz
BIL 6K.
In 2002, to add diversity to their
breeding program, Big Island
purchased 4 breeding bulls;
Zeus SCR, Titus SCR, Apollo SCR,
and Chet. This introduced Goan
Saltbush, Captain Knightcrawler, Commodore and
Bosun genetics. Miss Sun
Creek Aztek was purchased in
2003, adding a Knightcrawler
line to Big Island females.
Over the years, Big Island
has consistently added new
genetics to their herd to
continue to provide diversity
and improve the quality of the Lowline breed. Before
the days of using a computer program for herd
management, Big Island relied on Paul’s detailed
analysis and construction of pedigree charts for
developing their breeding program and for continued
acquisition of semen, bulls, and females to provide
genetic diversity and quality. Big Island also began to
be actively involved in cross breeding with the Angus,
Galloway, Red Poll and Speckle Park breeds. There were
many days and nights spent at the kitchen table, in
parking lots, and at restaurants discussing Paul’s charts
in detail! In a way it was a sad day when the computer
program took over.
Over the years, Paul has enjoyed immensely his
discussions with David Whitehead, Ted Jansen and
many others regarding Lowline genetics.
In 2003, Murray Skippen joined Big Island Lowlines
as herdsman. Murray has been an integral part of the
operation since Day 1 of his involvement. Murray has
not only made a commitment to promote and improve
Big Island Lowline cattle, but the Lowline breed as a
whole. Murray is always ready and available to “talk
Lowline” and to share his wealth of knowledge about
“anything cattle”. Murray looks forward to heading off
to Denver and Houston annually to meet with fellow
Lowline breeders south of the border. Murray has
become like family to the Big Island operation.
Big Island Lowline
began showing their cattle
in 2003, at Edmonton’s
Farmfair International in
the Multi Breed Show. Big
Island added participation
in other exhibitions, sales,
and shows throughout
Alberta; in St. Paul,
Drayton Valley, the Camrose Canadian Bull Congress,
and at the Calgary Stampede.
In 2007, the first Canadian National Lowline Show was
enthusiastically welcomed by the Farmfair International
Beef Committee. Lowline cattle in attendance were
representatives of Big Island Lowlines, Black AZ Lowline,
BM Lowlines, Silver Hill Lowlines, Twa Cattle Company,
and Wild Rose Lowlines. In November of 2015, the 9th
National Show was held in this same venue. Big Island
Lowlines is regularly represented at the Interprovincial
Show in Armstrong, BC, the National Western Stock
Show in Denver, the International Livestock Show in
Houston, and at Farmfair International in Edmonton.
Big Island has produced Canadian male and female
Grand Champions and also a Grand Champion Bull at
the Houston International Lowline Show. Big Island
cattle have also topped a number of sales in prices paid.
In June 2008, Big Island introduced the first
recognized red carrier
fullblood bull and female
in Canada with the births
of Alta Magnum and Alta
Abigail sired by Bluey and
Awesome Red respectively.
A year later, Lazy G. Red
Skye was imported and
was the first red fullblood Lowline bull in Canada. Since
then Big Island has added the true red gene through
the use of Alm Bess genetics. The red bull Alta Legend
(first red Lowline born in Canada) and the true red gene
carrier black bull Alta Demolition were born in 2010
and 2011 respectively. They were sold and have been
and are currently being used successfully in breeding
programs in North and South America and also in
Alta Demolition 214Y
9
Australia. 2016 is starting out as an exciting year for
red Lowline in the Big Island herd.
In 2010 Big Island sent its first export of 10 Lowline
heifers to the UK. After
a long and complicated
process of working with
the CFIA to produce
a CHAH certification
protocol that would
work for beef herds, the
heifers were exported
and were the first live cattle to enter the UK from
Canada in over
Wessex Lowines, Paul, Barbara and Darrell
20 years, and
the first live
Lowline to set
foot in the UK.
Big Island has
enjoyed working
with Wessex
Lowliness to
send to date, 29 heifers to the UK. In the summer of
2015, Paul and Arlene, Darrell, Barbara, Paul, Matthew
and Sarah, traveled
to Dorset County in
the UK to visit with
the owners and
managers of Wessex
Lowlines. It was a
pleasure to see how
the Wessex operation
has flourished and
the enthusiasm and professionalism with which they
promote the Lowline breed in the UK and the EU!
For more than a decade and a half, Big Island Lowlines
has been actively supplying breeding stock to buyers
locally, nationally, and beyond, thereby aiding in the
start-up of fullblood and/or mixed breed commercial
herds. We recently have also had very preliminary
discussions with the University of Alberta Faculty of
Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences and are
excited about the possibility of collaborating with two
research stations in studies of beef breeding, genomics,
environmental influences, and rangeland ecology and
management.
Darrell served as President of the Canadian Lowline
Cattle Association for 10 years and currently remains
a member of the Board of Directors. He enjoys being
involved in the operation with his father. Barbara is the
administrator for the Big Island operation and has been
involved with the planning of the Canadian National
Lowline Show since 2007.
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On a more personal note: One of the most
rewarding aspects of being a Lowline breeder is all the
truly wonderful
people that we,
at Big Island,
have met over
the past 17 years.
Meeting, working
with, and
showing with
many wonderful
people has truly
been a blessing
to each one of us. We have so many memories that
we are grateful for, so much wisdom and good advice
that we have received, and so many friendships that
we have made. Thank you for being a part of our
journey. We are looking forward to making many more
memories with you.
We wish you every success with your Lowline
experience.
God bless you and your families –
Paul, Arlene, Darrell, Barbara, Murray
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My name is Melissa Monteith, I am 17 years old and the owner of Prairie North Lowlines. I
bought my first lowline at the National Western Stock Show in 2013 from Muddy Creek Ranch.
She is a 62.5% Moderator Lowline and her name is Pipi Longstockings. I have lived on a farm my
whole life and have always had cows around. When I was younger I didn’t like to work with the
big Angus and the Angus/ Belgian Blue crosses that we had because they were so big. When
mom and dad got our first Lowlines was when I developed a real interest in the cattle industry.
I am now the President of the Mervin 4-H Beef Club, for the past two years I have taken a
Lowline cross heifer as my heifer project. This year I am taking a Lowline Simmental cross steer,
a Lowline cross heifer and I am taking my heifer from last year back as a cow calf pair. In 2015,
my Lowline heifer, HNB She’s the 1, was the Grand Champion Female in our local club. We took
her to Farmfair to the National Show. I showed her in the UFA Junior Futurity as well. This past
summer I also had the opportunity to go down to the Spokane Interstate Fair for the Lowline
show. I didn’t take any animals but ILCC was nice enough to lend me one of their heifers to
show in the Senior Showmanship class.
Melissa Monteith
My name is Cailyn Campbell and I have grown up showing a variety of breeds including
Shorthorns, Angus X, and Club Calves. I have recently been introduced to showing
Lowlines for High Point Lowlines. From growing up on a third generation Purebred
Polled Hereford family run cattle farm in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, to showing
cattle in various provinces and countries, cattle have always been a huge part of my
life. Showing, fitting and clipping cattle has always been a passion of mine. Driven by
my passion, and drive to succeed I have always worked on improving my skills. In 2013,
my sister Marissa Campbell and I made the trek out for Farmfair International to show
her Shorthorn bred heifer and bull calf from SF Shorthorns, when we crossed paths
with Linda and Russ Crawford. That year was the first year I’d shown Lowlines and I
have been showing for Linda and Russ since then. The Club Calves that I show now
differentiate themselves from Lowlines in multiple ways. I’ve learned from showing
Lowlines, for the most part they are docile and gentle nature. It’s rare to see at a show
where the majority of individuals in it’s class are sound but Lowlines seem to prove
this wrong. From analyzing the Lowline breed, I have also come to a realization of how
structurally correct theses cattle are. The breeds I show have many comparisons to
the Lowline breed, however Show cattle are Show cattle. All breeds must be fed on
premium feeds and premium care for quality results. The amount of work you put into
your cattle is not breed dependant.
In the few short years I have spent showing Lowlines, I’ve been giving many opportunities. Opportunities not only including
showing, but opportunities to meet new breeders, travel, meet new people and create new friendships. Despite what
some may think, I truly feel that the Lowline breed has paved their way into the cattle industry and are a breed that’ll have
a future in the industry. I would like to thank High Point Lowlines for introducing me to the breed, and the people I have
met along my journeys.
Cailyn Campbell
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The Lowlines are the stature of what the Angus started out as back in the fifties. Over the years
they were bred to be taller in size until they became the Angus we all know today.
My parents got their first herd of 8 Lowlines in 2008. We have found that the Lowline cattle are
a very efficient breed of cattle. I am slowly building my own herd of Lowlines. My Lowline and
standard Angus heifers that I bred to our Lowline bulls, will be calving this year.
We show our Lowline cattle every year at the Armstrong IPE and other fall fairs. I really enjoy
showing our Lowlines. We get a fair amount of people that come up to us during the fall fairs
and ask about our cattle. Little kids love the Lowline calves, because they are much smaller and
less threatening compared to the larger breeds of cattle.
Lowline cattle are a great breed of cattle to own in my opinion.
Sonja Guttner
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T
here are many different vaccines made by many
different pharmaceutical companies. These are just
our recommendations. If you have used a different
vaccine in the past and are happy with the performance,
we can order that type in for you or recommend
something that is similar.
4. Bovishield Gold /
OneShot - This is a
2 mL subcutaneous
vaccine that covers
Mannheimia
*Farm Calves from cows vaccinated LIVE every
spring:
Live vaccines are the optimal way to vaccinate your cow
herd. They offer the best coverage against the diseases
but should be used ONLY when recommended. If used
improperly, they could have a devastating effect on your
cow herd. If you are uncertain as to use killed or Modified
Live ASK us!
Pa ra i n f l u e n z a ( P I 3 ) ,
Respiratory Syncitial
Virus (BRSV), Bovine
viral Diarrhea (BVD)
This is a LIVE vaccine
and is included in all of
our calf protocols. This
protects your calves
against the summer
time bacterial and viral
pneumonias as well as priming the immune system for
fall weaning protocols.
1. Inforce 3 - This is a 2ml intranasal vaccine that covers
Bovine Rhinotracheitis, Parainfluenza-3, Respiratory
Syncytial Virus. This is a vaccine is recommended for
new calves and can be given at birth or within the first
few days of calving. It provides good protection against
viral pathogens and is meant to provide coverage until
6 weeks of age at which time regular branding protocols
can be initiated. The efficacy of this vaccine in our herd
has been very good and it is especially well suited for
pure bred herds calving early in the year with increased
stocking densities.
2a. Vision 8/ Somnugen - This is a 2mL subcutaneous
vaccine that covers Clostridium chauvoei(Blackleg)septicum-haemolyticum-novyi-sordellii-perfringens
Types C & D. As well as Histophilus somnus BacterinToxoid (this is the “Blackleg”Vaccine) We recommend
that calves receive this vaccine at 6 weeks of age and
again at weaning time.
2b. Ultrachoice 8 - This is a 2ml subcutaneous vaccine
that covers Clostridium chauvoei(Blackleg)-septicumhaemolyticum-novyi-sordellii-perfringens Types B C
& D Bacterin Toxoid. This vaccine does NOT contain
Somnus and is recommended to be given to cattle over
one year of age. It is a KILLED vaccine and is included
in all of our adult cattle protocols.
3. Bovishield Gold FP5 - This is a 2 mL subcutaneous
vaccine that covers two types of Bovine viral diarrhea
(BVD), Infectious Bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Bovine Respiratory
Parainfluenza-3(PI3). These are LIVE vaccines and
should only be given to pregnant cows that have
been previously vaccinated with live vaccine or open
replacements.
18
haemolytica as well as
*Farm calves not from vaccinated cows - these
are the ‘KILLED’`protocols.
When in doubt use this protocol. If you bought cows
from a source with unknown vaccine history, use this.
It is safe, and won`t compromise the safety of your herd.
The cost is marginally higher and it does not provide the
same level of protection as live protocols.
1. Inforce 3 - This is a 2ml intranasal vaccine that
covers Bovine Rhinotracheitis, Parainfluenza-3,
Respiratory Syncytial Virus. This is a LIVE vaccine and
is recommended for all new calves.
2a.Vision 8/ Somnugen - This is a 2mL subcutaneous
vaccine that covers Clostridium chauvoei(Blackleg)septicum-haemolyticum-novyi-sordellii-perfringens
Types C & D-Haemophilussomnus Bacterin-Toxoid
(this is the “Blackleg” Vaccnine) We reccommend any
animal under one year of age receiving this vaccine. It
is a KILLED vaccine and is included in all of our calf
protocols.
2b.Ultrachoice 8 - This is a 2ml subcutaneous vaccines
that covers Clostridium chauvoei(Blackleg)-septicumhaemolyticum-novyi-sordellii-perfringens Types B C
& D Bacterin Toxoid. This vaccine does NOT contain
Somnus and is recommended to be given to cattle over
one year of age. It is a KILLED vaccine and is included
in all of our adult cattle protocols.
3. CattleMaster 5 - This is a 2 mL subcutaneous
vaccine that covers two types of Bovine viral diarrhea
(BVD), Infectious Bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Bovine Respiratory
Parainfluenza-3(PI3). These are KILLED vaccines and
are safe for any animal.
Alberta Veterinary Centre Vaccine Protocol:
Calves:
At birth or within first 7 days- Inforce 3- Intranasal
(IN)
At 4-6 weeks of age: At weaning boost with:
Bovishield Gold / Ones Shot Bovishield Gold 5 / One Shot
Vision 8 w/ Somnus
2cc under the skin (SQ) on all vaccines
Cows- at preg testing or at Scourguard
Vaccination:
Bovishield Gold FP5 2cc under the skin(SQ)
Ultrachoice 8
2cc under the skin (SQ)
Scourguard -- Initial dose can be given at time of
preg testing and then given 2 weeks before the onset
of calving thereafter. Revaccinating those late calvers
6 weeks after pre-calving vaccination is valuable and
recommended.
Replacement Heifers - 2 to 4 weeks before
breeding:
Bovishield gold 5
Ultrachoice 8
2cc subcutaneously on both vaccines
Replacement heifers at preg testing:
Initial Scourguard Vaccine
Booster to be given 2 weeks before start of calvingIntramuscular (IM)
19
20
21
show ring – our homebred junior bull Wessex Calgary won the
Championship in the Native & Minority breed classes at Dorset
County show and Wessex Brooke. A heifer we sold in 2012, won
the Lowline Championship at Frome show in Somerset, currently
the only show in the UK with specific Lowline classes. Heifers we
sold in 2014 have also been winning rosettes and championships
at local shows in Derbyshire. It is always good to see homebred
stock you have sold go on to do well for their new owners. We
e are making in-roads in the UK with the Lowline also keep upto date with the animals we sent to Ireland and its
cattle as we are now finding more people have great to hear they now have their first calves on the ground and
heard about the breed and are enquiring about that things are going well for them as well.
them. We have done a lot of marketing with
editorials and features in farming and smallholder publications Bulling time has
plus travelling around the country showing the cattle which is gone well, David
finally paying off. Price is the biggest hurdle for buyers in the selected 8 bulls
UK and Europe, importing animals and genetics is not cheap and in 2015 and after
dictates the sale prices which are why we do a lot of work with scanning we have
embryo flushes and surrogate dams to increase herd size. As the 54 females to calve
UK/European herd grows and availability is easier then prices in 2016. All heifers
will start to become more affordable which will make the breed were synchronised
more accessible for many people. There is a lot of interest from and paired to junior
Europe – we are currently working on a European export which bulls so it is always a
we hope leads to more Lowline breeders getting established in relief at scanning to
Europe.
find all the bulls are
W
working.
Our embryo flushing
and transfer program Calves weaned at the end of October weighed well, averaging
continues to progress 181kg – the heaviest being 234 kg which after a largely dry
with better success year summer with grass quite burnt off was good to see. Our
on year, most recently
with a 10 out of 10 take
on highland surrogates
and 4 out of 5 on the
Angus surrogates,
which we are very
happy with.
2015 brought some
good results in the
22
percentage (Highland/Lowline and Angus/Lowline) calves are
shaping up very nicely and are good examples of how a Lowline
bull can influence offspring.
Last August we were delighted to host a visit from the Gotaas
family from Big Island Lowlines whom we imported our
foundation females from. It was great for Barbara, Darrell, Paul
and Arlene to be able to see how their animals are doing over
here and the herd we have been able to build from them. David
spends a lot of time looking at bloodlines and pedigrees, so he
enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time discussing these
with Paul who has a vast knowledge of the breed.
We managed to take a 2 week break in December, returning
from the Florida sunshine to high winds and lashing rain. We
normally average 54 inches of rain a year but it feels like we have
had most of that in December and January! We brought the
majority of the cows inside at the end of November, the heifers
stayed out until early January. Just the Highland surrogates and
cows with young calves are left to winter outside on hay and
silage to protect the pastures for spring grazing.
We sadly had to say goodbye to our stock bull, Langford
Conker, in January. Conker has been a great ambassador for
the Lowline breed in the UK winning 5 Championships and
1 overall Beef Championship along with many many rosettes
over the last few years. He really caught people’s attention and
made them take notice of the Lowline breed. He was only 8
years old and we hoped he would go on for a good few years
yet but he tore a cruciate ligament in his back leg and despite
6 weeks of veterinary treatment it did not improve and the
sad decision was made to put him to sleep. He was one of the
sweetest tempered bulls we have ever known, however he has
left us a great legacy with some promising offspring. We have
some young bulls by him that are shaping up very well and
have his fantastic temperament and some lovely young heifers
sired by him – most of our show team are his offspring so his
bloodline will be with us for many years to come.
23
Introduction
From a historical point of view, there have been
considerable changes made to National Cattle
Evaluations (NCE) over time. More recently, many beef
breed associations have augmented EPD with genomic
information. This step alone has included many rapid
evolutions both in terms of methods of incorporation
and the source of genomic information. Changes
include new genotyping platforms, the usefulness of
genomic information in predicting genetic merit, and our
understanding of how best to utilize it.
Prior to genomic information being first integrated
into NCE by the American Angus Association in 2009,
genomic information (Molecular Breeding Values; MBV)
were viewed by some producers as competing sources
of information to traditional EPD. This created confusion
as to which piece of information to utilize. Even after
the incorporation of genomic predictors into NCE, new
implementation issues were evident in the beef seedstock
industry. Retraining, or recalibration (the process of
reestimating SNP effects and refining the resulting genomic
prediction equation), became a necessity and the beef
industry understood that the efficacy of genomic predictors
were not robust (persistent) over several generations.
The lack of predictive ability across breeds was also very
clear, and the use of genomic predictors trained in Angus
could not be used with any beneficial degree of accuracy
in a closely related breed like Red Angus. Consequently,
for breeds to capitalize on the benefits of augmenting
traditional EPD with genomic information, they must
first make an initial investment in developing a “training”
population of genotyped and phenotyped animals, upon
which to train the genomic prediction equations. Generally
speaking, breed associations were advised to genotype a
minimum of 1,000 animals that preferably had moderate
to high accuracy EPD. To date several breed associations
have met this mark and are currently computing EPD
incorporating genomic information.
Accuracy
How well a particular genomic test improves the accuracy
of an EPD in the context of selection is related to how
much of the genetic variation the marker test explains.
The magnitude of the benefits depends on the proportion
of genetic variation (%GV) explained by a given marker
panel, where the %GV is equal by the square of the
genetic correlation multiplied by 100. Table 1 shows the
relationship between the genetic correlation (correlation
between predicted and true genetic merit; true accuracy),
%GV, and the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF)
accuracy. BIF accuracy is the standard for all U.S. beef
breeds.
24
Table 1. The relationship
between true accuracy
(r), proportion of genetic
variation explained (%GV),
and Beef Improvement
Federation (BIF) accuracy.
From Table 1 it is clear that even when the %GV is
exceptionally large, the corresponding BIF accuracy is
relatively low. This suggests that although genomics has
the potential to add additional information, by itself it is far
from a perfect predictor of an animal’s genetic merit.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the benefits of including genomic
information into EPD (or Estimated Breeding Value (EBV)
which is twice the value of an EPD) accuracy (on the BIF
scale) when the genomic information explains 10 or 40%
of the genetic variation (GV), which is synonymous with
R2 values of 0.1 and 0.4. The darker portion of the bars
shows the EPD accuracy before the inclusion of genomic
information and the lighter colored portion shows the
increase in accuracy after the inclusion of the genomic
information into the EPD calculation. As the %GV
increases, the increase in EPD accuracy becomes larger.
Additionally, lower accuracy animals benefit more from
the inclusion of genomic information, and the benefits
decline as the EPD accuracy increases.
Regardless of the %GV assumed here, the benefits of
including genomic information into EPD dissipate when
EPD accuracy is between 0.6 and 0.7. On the other hand,
when %GV is 40, an animal with 0 accuracy could exceed
an accuracy of 0.2 with genomic information alone. This
would be comparable to having approximately 4 progeny
for a highly heritable trait, or 7 progeny for a moderately
heritable trait (Table 2).
Phenotypes in the Genomic Era
While these gains in accuracy are impressive, particularly
for non-parent animals, it is clear that genomic information
alone cannot “prove” a sire. Or in other words, additional
information is required before an animal can achieve
very high levels of BIF accuracy. To reach high levels of
accuracy it is necessary to collect and submit phenotypic
information on the animal’s progeny. There is still a need,
and tremendous benefit from, the continued collection
of phenotypes in the context of genomic selection. The
benefits fall into two broad classifications:
1) Training Population
Animals with phenotypes are needed in order to develop
the initial training population. Ideally these animals have
moderate to high accuracy EPD, which would
Figure 1. Increase in accuracy
from integrating genomic
information that explains 10%
of the genetic variation into
Estimated Breeding Values
(EBV).
Figure 2. Increase in accuracy
from integrating genomic
information that explains 40%
of the genetic variation into
Estimated Breeding Values
(EBV).
require that they have several progeny (refer to Table 2) that have the
phenotype recorded. If routine phenotype collection does not occur,
building the initial training set will be problematic.Genomic predictions
need to be “retrained” overtime, and to do so requires additional animals
to be included in the training population. Similar to building the initial
training population, this requires that newly selected animals are
routinely measured for the trait of interest thus building EPD accuracy
and providing additional information from which more reliable genomic
predictors can be derived.
2) Added Accuracy
Although genomic predictors have been shown to increase EPD accuracy
(refer to Figures 1 and 2), in isolation they do not have the ability to
increase BIF accuracy to high levels alone. To continue to build the
accuracy of an animal’s EPD, the animal must have progeny recorded
that have been measured for the trait of interest.
Conclusions
The inclusion of genomic predictors into NCE offers an exciting and
powerful tool to increase the rate of genetic gain by increasing accuracy of
EPD, particularly of young animals, and by reducing the generation interval
if younger sires are used more heavily. However, genotyping animals does
not replace the need for phenotyping. Doing so inherently limits the upper
bound of accuracy far below what is possible if additional phenotypes are
collected. Genomic predictors should be viewed as an additional source of
information for EPD calculations, not the complete picture.
25
Table 2. Approximate number of progeny with phenotypic information
needed to reach accuracy levels (true (r) and the BIF standard) for
three heritabilities (h2).
Biography:
Dr. Colin Palmer is an Associate Professor of Theriogenology (Animal Reproduction) at the
Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Originally from Nova Scotia, Dr. Palmer worked in
mixed practices in Ontario and British Columbia and has owned/operated a practice in
Saskatchewan. Dr. Palmer along with his wife Kim and children Lauren, Emily and Carter run a
herd of purebred Red Angus cattle under the KC Cattle Co. name.
Vaccinating the Herd
Two common questions I am asked are: “What should I vaccinate
against?” and “What vaccine would you recommend?”
a good idea to make sure the vaccine provides protection against
tetanus.
To answer the first question I would recommend that any
cattle vaccine program in this country should provide adequate
protection against Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR); Bovine
Virus Diarrhea Virus (BVD), both Types 1 and 2; and a combined
clostridium vaccine to prevent blackleg and other clostridial
diseases. All unvaccinated cattle are susceptible to the devastating
affects of IBR and BVD. High fever, depression, respiratory
symptoms, abortion and death are all associated with IBR.
Similarly, BVD is associated with a variety of clinical signs including
fever, diarrhea, depression and respiratory disease. In recent
years, distinct new strains of the BVD virus have been discovered
referred to as BVD Type 2. Some of these Type 2 strains may cause
bleeding from the gut, lungs or other areas within the body often
resulting in rapid death of affected animals. Both types of BVD may
be especially damaging to unborn calves. Infection of pregnant
animals with BVD virus is associated with conception failure and
abortions. Deformities in live born calves involving the brain, skin
and eyes have also been reported. Pregnant cattle infected within a
gestational window extending from as early as 2-3 weeks to as late
as 4 to 5 months after conception may give birth to calves that are
persistently infected (PI) with the BVD virus. The immune systems
of PI animals are incapable of recognizing and eliminating the
virus because the virus is identified as a normal part of the body.
PI animals can have a huge impact on the efficiency of a cattle
operation as they are often poor-doers that constantly shed the
virus to other animals. Most PI animals die young when exposed to
other strains of BVD, but some can live long enough to give birth
to persistently infected calves, or may be sold as breeding bulls
spreading the virus to new herds. When discussing IBR and BVD
vaccination programs I am occasionally asked if these two diseases
are still important. My answer is a resounding YES! IBR and BVD
causing agents are everywhere and with the increased movement
of livestock nowadays the risk of disease is as great as or greater
than it was years ago.
Vaccinating against shipping fever in calves and Haemophilus in
the cow herd may also be considered and are certainly worthy of
discussion with your veterinarian. I vaccinate against these diseases
in my own herd and know of a few herds that gave up vaccinating
their cattle against these diseases only to suffer devastating losses
years down the road. In most herds, vaccinating calves before
weaning against shipping fever will reduce the number of animals
requiring antibiotic treatment during the immediate post-weaning
period.
Bovine Respiratory Synctial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza-3 (PI-3)
cause respiratory disease in cattle. PI-3 is associated with mild
infections, but may predispose to infection with shipping fevercausing bacteria. Alone, BRSV may cause more severe disease than
PI-3, especially in calves. More recently BRSV has been found to
worsen the clinical status of animals co-infected with BVD or IBR.
Most vaccine products offering protection against IBR and BVD also
contain BRSV and PI-3 and I believe it is important to include them.
Blackleg or clostridial vaccination is must for any herd.Many of
the clostridial bacteria are capable of surviving in the soil for
decades and can easily infect even minor wounds causing death
of unvaccinated animals. Besides blackleg, other clostridial
diseases are also important for example: malignant edema and
gas gangrene in wounds; and tetanus. Most clostridial vaccines on
the market contain 7 or 8 different types of clostridium bacteria.
If calves or older bulls are being castrated with rubber bands it is
26
Leptospirosis is another disease agent that often affects the
kidneys and may also cause abortion. For most prairie beef
herds vaccinating against Leptospirosis is not important with the
exception of a few hot spots. The risk of disease in eastern Canada
is greater.
Scours-preventing vaccines for the cow herd are no substitute for
good management. However, for many producers these vaccines
represent another level of protection and have enabled them to
keep the number of calves treated for scours to a minimum.
“What vaccine do I recommend?” usually refers to killed verses
modified live virus vaccines. Really, the only killed or live viruses
we care about in cattle vaccines are IBR and BVD. Some vaccine
products also contain modified live strains of BRSV and PI-3, but it
is IBR and BVD that you must consider when making the decision
to go with a modified live verses killed vaccination program.
Modification of these viruses ensures that the virus doesn’t cause
full-blown disease in the animal, but will challenge the immune
system sufficiently so as to provide protection against the real
disease-causing virus if it is encountered. The main advantage of
modified live virus vaccines over killed virus vaccines is that they
provide a much longer duration of immunity verses just a few
months as is often the case with killed vaccines. The disadvantage
of live virus vaccines is that a small percentage of pregnant animals
may abort due to the infection with the modified live virus;
therefore, these products are not to be used in pregnant cattle. For
most producers it is more convenient to vaccinate the cow herd in
the fall in conjunction with other procedures. My recommendation
is to use a modified live vaccine whenever possible. This usually
means spring vaccinations following calving; however, there are
new modified live products available that can be safely used in
pregnant animals following an initial vaccination when they are not
pregnant. If you haven’t heard of these vaccines check them out to
see if they will work for you.
Consultation with your veterinarian on which vaccines are required
for your area and what makes sense in your herd should be a first
step in setting up your vaccination program. Don’t be afraid to revisit your vaccination program every few years to ensure that your
program is still appropriate and cost-effective for your herd.
27
Advertisers Index
Abegweit Isle Lowline Cattle..................... 19
Aspen Lowline Cattle................................. 25
Black River Farm........................................ 25
FarmFair International.............................. 20, 21
High Point Lowlines................................... 12, 13
Honeybrook Lowlines................................ 15, BC
Idaho Lowline Cattle Company................ 11
J6 Cattle Ranch........................................... 25
28
Muddy Creek Ranch.................................. IBC
Painted Post Lowlines................................ 7, 15
Pinnacle Lowlines & Butterkup Farms.... 1
Silverhills Lowline Cattle........................... 5
Stumbles Creek Ranch............................... 3
Wildrose Lowlines...................................... 28