Testing Elsie and LuLu for A2A2 Genetics

Today we took tail hair samples from both our little heifers to send off and test for A2A2 genetics.  Here is little Elsie all haltered up and ready.

And here is LuLu.  It is not that uncomfortable of a thing.  My goal is to pull approximately 20 tail hairs out of the tail head with the root attached.

I'll try to simply explain what we're testing for and why.  Clarabelle (Elsie's mom) is A2A2.  That's what we want.  I'll tell you why in a second.  Rosie (LuLu's mom) is A1A2.  We never tested the bulls, so we don't know what we'll get.  Since Clarabelle is A2A2, if we knew that the bull was A2A2, there would be no need to test.

There are different proteins in milk and the proportion of various proteins varies depending on the breed.  Casein, particularly beta casein, is found in milk.  In Jersey cows (A2 cows), (ours are Jerseys) the beta casein has an amino acid called proline.  In newer breeds like Holstein (A1 cows) the proline mutated into an amino acid called histadine.  Beta casein has an amino acid called BCM-7 that is linked to negative health affects.  The proline that exists in A2 cows has a strong bond to BCM-7, which helps keep it out of the cows’ milk.  The histidine in the newer A1 cows, however, has a weak hold on BCM-7, which allows it to get into the milk, and also into the people who drink the milk.  By drinking milk from A2A2 cows you are not exposed to negative things.  Granted, people with a healthy gut are not really subject to them anyway, but people seek out A2A2 milk for that benefit (Source: http://www.a2a2milk.com/page-2/)

So we're testing to see what Elsie and LuLu are - A2A2 or A1A2.  I grab the tail and pull out tail hairs by the root four or five at a time until I have 20 of them.

We twist them and tape to the Genetics testing form that we requested for each animal.

And now we'll mail it off and wait for the results.  We'll post the results when we get them.