Purchasing an AI Certificate on AM carrier sires (12/31/08)

On November 15, 2008, the Board of Directors of the American Angus Association amended its policy and rules relating to abnormalities and genetic defects. Among other things, this amendment recognized, for the first time, a genetic defect known as Arthrogryposis Multiplex (hereinafter "AM"), an abnormality originally referred to by David Steffen, DVM, University of Nebraska, on September 5, 2008 as "Curly Calf Syndrome".

The following is a specific policy approved by the AAA. Its procedures will become effective upon the date that the Association provides notice on its website that it has approved one or more laboratories to process test results that can conclusively identify and separate carriers of the AM mutation from animals free of it. This policy and these procedures apply to the AM mutation and that mutation only.

II. Resulting Progeny of Currently Registered AM-Carrier Females and Bulls

  1. All resulting calves of currently registered AM carrier females and bulls, born on or before December 31, 2009, must be DNA tested for the AM mutation at a laboratory authorized by the Association in order to be eligible for registration. The results of such a test (reflecting whether the animal tested is a carrier of the mutation or free of it) shall be denoted on the animal's registration and performance certificates in the manner prescribed below.
  2. All resulting calves of currently registered AM-carrier females and bulls born on or after January 1, 2010, must be DNA tested for the AM mutation and found to be free of that mutation in order to be eligible for registration.

III. Currently Registered A.I. Sires Determined to be Carriers of the AM Gene Mutation
  1. All calves sired artificially by non-owned bulls (calves that would require an AI service certificate) shall be ineligible for registration if conceived after sixty (60) days following the date on which that sire is listed on the Association's website as a carrier of the AM mutation. Calves resulting from embryos conceived artificially by non-owned bulls with embryo removal dates after 67 days following the date on which that sire is listed on the Association's website as carriers of the AM mutation shall be ineligible for registration.
  2. The Association will publish the names and registration numbers of such sires on its website only upon receipt of a test determination from an approved laboratory.

Now that a test for the AM gene is commercially available, we assume that the list will be posted shortly on the AAA website. If the list is posted on January 1, 2009, semen can still be used on AMC sires until March 1, 2009. Therefore, calves born prior to December 1, 2009 can still be registered with the AAA as long as they are tested free of AM. Those calves conceived 60 days after the posting of the list on the AAA website cannot be registered, regardless of their AM status.