Many people have emailed me and told me how the big names in the industry disagree with me. That they believe the genes are all linked. I think its a coorelation. These great bulls are carriers. I am not arguing that, and I am not saying that we should stop using these bulls. But from my understanding, not only have geneticist not linked the genes to one another, I think most geneticist dont feel the genes are linked. I study genetics, but I am by no means a geneticist, nor do I know all of the geneticist out there or their studies or beliefs. I am simply stating what I have learned and what I know. I may be wrong, I have no problem admitting that. But what I see is a coorelation. That these good bulls are carriers. But from a genetic point I see no research that indicates they must pass on the the undesirable genes in order to pass on the desirable ones.
Like I said earlier, I grew up in the club calf world and the show pig world. And this argument that is going on now in the cattle industry reminds all to much of the argument that went on in the show pig industry over the Stress Gene. There were many in that industry that wouldnt use or stand a stress negative boar because they felt that the negative pigs were completely incapable of pocessing or producing the mass and quality of the carrier and positive boars. I wont say that we produced negative pigs that blew the carriers and positives out of the water, but we did end up producing a lot of negative pigs that were every bit as good as the carriers and positives.
It will be very hard to produce bulls that produce better than Monopoly or Heatwave, they are legends, and with all the clones now they will probably always dominate in the club calf industry. But just like in the showpig industry where the boars that brought all that power were dirty, but we eventually got them to produce clean hogs that were phenotypically just as good. I have to believe the same will eventually happen in the club calf industry, these bulls that raised the quality and power to a whole new level are also carriers. But eventually they will most likely produce clean bulls that, while they may not necessarily be better, they will be just as good. Thats my point of view, and it will remain my point of view until there is scientific evidence to prove it otherwise. I will continue to use the bulls on clean cows. I dont knock people who choose to use the on carrier cows, and I am not trying to change the industry here. I am a small time guy, so for me the 25% chance that mating carrier to carrier is going to produce a lethal combination not only to the calf but possibly also the cow is a risk that is to high for me to take. On the other hand for the bigger producers, The potential greatness of the calf may outway the risk of losing a calf or cow.
I am not trying to be an expert or argue. I am just stating my opinion and the conclusions I have derived from things I have studied.