American Maine-Anjou Association

Maine-Anjou Voice

Jr. Maine-Anjou

MA Classifieds

Online Billing

Online Registration

Online Membership

Search MA Breed

Home

Registration & Membership

Breed Information

Association Information

Genetic Abnormality Information

Show & Sale Results

AMAA Dateline

Common Questions About the Inheritance of Coloration
in Maine Anjou Cattle

Before answering questions that have been given to me, I think that it would be useful to give some background information about the genetics of coloration of cattle that will allow a better understanding of the questions and answers that follow. There are two sets of genes that control most of the differences in coloration and spotting that are of interest to breeders of Maine-Anjou cattle. The genes are those responsible for red vs. black pigmentation and for a solid (nonspotted) or a spotted body. The gene responsible for producing black is commonly given the symbol E while that for red is e. The gene for black is dominant over that for red meaning that if an animal carries one gene for black and one for red (his genotype would be Ee), he will be black in coloration. Such an animal is referred to a heterozygous. All black cattle, which have a red parent, are heterozygous for red. Animals that are homozygous black have two E genes and have the genotype EE. Since the red gene, e, is recessive, all red animals are homozygous, ee, in genotype. The reason for this is that if they were not homozygous (i.e., carried the black gene), they would be black not red. Therefore, if red animals are mated together, only red calves will result.

When a homozygous black bull (EE in genotype) is bred to red cows (ee), all the progeny are black but carry the red gene (are heterozygous for the red gene). When such a heterozygous bull is bred to red cows, half of the progeny will be black (Ee in genotype) and half will be red (ee). This ratio will be found in the long run. However, individual sets of calves may vary from 50:50 just as the bull to heifer ratio often does in sets of calves. The mating of homozygous black parents will always produce homozygous black progeny. When heterozygous bulls (Ee) are mated to heterozygous cows (Ee), (Remember that all black cattle which had a red parent must be heterozygous.) three-fourths of the progeny are expected to be black and one-fourth red. One-third of the black calves from the mating of heterozygous parents would be expected to be homozygous black (EE) and two-thirds to be heterozygous (Ee). Determining which of the black calves from a mating of heterozygous black parents are homozygous will require some "test matings." If a black bull is mated to red cows and produces seven or more black calves without producing any red calves, he can be said to be homozygous with only a very slight )less than on in one hundred) chance of being wrong.

The situation with regard to spotting is similar genetically to that for the red/black coloration. The gene responsible for lack of spotting (usually symbolized by S) is dominant over (covers up) the gene responsible for spotting (symbolized by s). Fullblood Maine-Anjou are spotted and, therefore, must be homozygous for this recessive spotting (ss in genotype). This is the same type of spotting carried by Holstein, Guernsey, Ayshire and some Jersey cattle. It is also partially responsible for the spotting pattern of the Simmental. When Maine-Anjou cattle are crossed with Angus (SS) in genotype, all calves that result are Ss in genotype and would not be expected to show spotting. A minimal amount of white may be present on the underline, especially behind the sheath area and in the udder region but the same is often found in burbled Angus. Half of the calves resulting from the mating of a solid colored, heterozygous bull to spotted cows would be expected to be solid and half spotted. This is what occurs in the upgrading process when solid colored F1 cows are mated to spotted fullblood bulls. It is also equivalent to the mating of a solid-colored but heterozygous bull to spotted fullblood cows. The mating together of nonspotted animals that are heterozygous for recessive spotting will result in three-fourths nonspotted calves and one-fourth spotted calves. Just as was the case for the black gene, one-third of the nonspotted calves from such a mating would be expected to be homozygous for nonspotting (SS) and two-thirds would be expected to be heterozygous (Ss). Homozygous bulls will only produce solid calves even when mated to spotted cows. Just as with testing for the red gene, the production of seven or more nonspotted calves from spotted cows without producing any spotted calves nearly ensures that the bull is homozygous.

The genes for spotting (S and s) and the genes for coloration (E and e) are located on different chromosomes and therefore, the prediction of combinations of spotting and colorations are quite simple. If you have a black, nonspotted bull that is heterozygous for both red and spotting (Ee Ss in genotype), and he is mated to fullblood (or other red spotted cows), the chance of getting a black, nonspotted calf is determined by multiplying the chance of getting a black calf (1/2) times the change of getting a nonspotted calf (1/2) which gives a result of ¼ (25%). It is possible, of course, to have black bulls, which are homozygous for black (EE) and also spotted (ss). Similarly, there are likely to be black, nonspotted Maine-Anjou bulls that are homozygous for one gene and heterozygous for the other. Examples of this would be the genotypes EE Ss and Ee SS with the former being homozygous for black and heterozygous for the spotting and the latter being homozygous for nonspotting and heterozygous for red. The test for a bull which is homozygous for both genes (EE SS) is to mate him to red, spotted cows and if seven or more calves are born which are black and nonspotted without any other combinations being produced, he is extremely likely to be homozygous for both genes.

It is on the basis of this information that the questions below are answered. These questions were all raised by Maine-Anjou breeders interested in the production of black Maine-Anjou cattle.


Question:	The heifer I bought is red but comes from several generations of black Maine-Anjou parents. Will I be more likely to get a black calf out of her than out of a red heifer whose sire and dam are both red?
Answer:	NO! If an animal is red, it can only carry genes for the production of the red color (be homozygous for red). A red animal cannot carry genes for the black coloration as red is recessive to black. That is, if an animal carries one red gene and one black gene, it will be black. Red animals carry only two genes for red, never black. Therefore, no red animal, regardless of how many blacks are in its pedigree is going to produce a black calf unless it is bred to a black mate. The chances of producing a black calf from the mating of a red heifer from black parents when bred to a black are not higher than from a red fullblood for the same reason.

Question:	Why does it appear that my fullblood Maine-Anjou cows have more black calves out of our black (heterozygous) bull than our red purebred cows?
Answer:	There is no reason to expect that they would. I suspect that too few calves have been born out of fullblood cows to get a valid ratio. In the long run, the two types of red cows, (which are identical as far as red is concerned) should produce the same percentage of black calves.

Question:	What percentage of red and black offspring will be produce from mating a fullblood Maine-Anjou bull to our herd of registered Angus cows?
Answer:	This will depend upon whether or not any of the Angus cows carry the red gene. If all the cows were carriers of the red gene (heterozygous for black/red), only half the calves would be black. If no cows carried red, all calves would be black. Since most Angus cows are likely not to be carriers (unless they were sired by bulls known to be red carriers), a high percentage would be expected to be black. The occasional production of a red calf would not be surprising however.

Question:	If I breed to a homozygous black bull, will I still get spotted calves?
Answer:	It certainly would be possible as different genes control spotting than control the coloration (black vs. red). A bull can be homozygous black and be homozygous for spotting (almost all black Holsteins are of this genotype-genetic makeup). Only bulls homozygous for both black and nonspotting should produce all black, nonspotted calves.

Question:	Can I breed two spotted parents and get calves that are not spotted?
Answer:	I would not expect that spotted parents (assuming that they show the regular spotting of Maine-Anjou cattle which is recessive) would ever produce anything but spotted calves for the same reason that red parents will always produce red calves.

Question:	If I breed a black, purebred Maine-Anjou bull who is solid black with white spotting (white legs and underline) to solid black (nonspotted) cows of Angus and Chianina breeding, will I be likely to get calves with white legs and underlines?
Answer:	Probably not, or if so, it would be a very small proportion. The reason for this is again that the gene responsible for the spotting pattern of Maine-Anjou (which is the same gene as is responsible for the spotting pattern of the Holstein) is recessive. The cross of the Holstein and the Angus produces a solid black calf. For the same reason, the cross of a spotted Maine-Anjou with a solid black cow with no influence of Holstein or other spotted breeds should only produce nonspotted calves. Of course, these resulting solid-colored calves will themselves carry spotting and can produce it in the next generation if not bred to homozygous nonspotted bulls.

Question:	How can I develop a solid black (nonspotted) herd of Maine-Anjou?
Answer:	The fastest way to get to such a herd would be to keep only those cows that were black and nonspotted (solid). Secondly, I would use only bulls that were homozygous for both black and the solid pattern. As mentioned previously, these are bulls which have produced at least seven black, solid calves out of red, spotted dams. Such bulls would have to be identified each generation unless you also knew the dams were homozygous. With superovulation and embryo transfer, even the black solid cows could be tested by mating them to red, spotted bulls. While this would be an expensive process, you should be able to continually produce all solid black calves generation after generation once you have a group of homozygous cows and bulls. Hopefully, other breeders would also be producing such homozygous animals so that you could have access to unrelated breeding stock to outcross to periodically.

Question:	A reddish-brown calf was born from the mating of a black Maine-Anjou bull to a Shorthorn cow. Is this calf likely to turn darker?
Answer:	Most calves born a reddish brown will turn darker as they shed out. It will not very likely turn completely black, however. It could easily have a considerable amount of black on its head and neck, hindquarters and legs.

Question:	A calf is born nearly black but has streaks of reddish hair along its topline. What is going on here?
Answer:	This is difficult without having seen a picture of this calf. I have seen what appears like a faint brindle pattern along the backs of black crossbred cattle. In most cases, these animals have had some Chianina or Brown Swiss influence in them. These animals will likely produce some normal black calves when bred to dark red cows with the percentage depending on whether they are homozygous or heterozygous, the same as for any black animals.

Question:	Why am I getting some off-colored calves when I breed either black or red parents?
Answer:	Again this is difficult to answer not having seen the off-colored calves. Assuming that we are talking about anything other than black and the normal shades of red in Maine-Anjou, the simplest answer to this question is the segregation out of recessive genes (sometimes referred to as "throwbacks") from the stock used in the upgrading process. These would not be likely to occur if only Hereford, Angus and other solid red or black breeds were used in the upgrading. The use of Chianina or any of the other white Italian breeds, Brown Swiss or Brahman in the upgrading in the process could have incorporated genes which would lighten the usual colorations.