Hypotrichosis
Hypotrichosis testing is available as an add-on to Smart Flock Elite for White Suffolk animals and identifies animals that are carriers for the hypotrichosis genetic condition.
Hypotrichosis congenita is a viable hypotrichosis, meaning that the disease is not immediately fatal to affected newborns.
In Australia, the presence of Hypotrichosis was initially observed in Poll Dorset sheep. Since then it has also been observed in White Suffolk, Suffolk and Composite Maternal/Terminal breeds. Hypotrichosis, also known as Hairless, has also been reported in other mammalian species.
The Hypotrichosis test is validated in the White Suffolk sheep breed only.
Affected lambs are generally born with little or no hair on the head, ears and legs and develop a thick leathery skin. Wool on the body is lower density than the average sheep, and shedding of this remaining wool occurs as the animal ages.
Hypotrichosis is a Mendelian recessive trait, meaning that both parents must contain the recessive gene before it is expressed. Crossing of two hypotrichosis carrier parents will result in 25% affected lambs.
| HH (non-carrier) x Hh (carrier) | Hh (carrier) x Hh (carrier) |
|---|---|
| 50% non-carriers (HH) | 25% non-carriers (HH) |
| 50% carriers (Hh) | 50% carriers (Hh) |
| NO Hypotrichosis affected lambs | 25% Hypotrichosis affected lambs(hh) |
Genomically testing your animals is easy – just follow Neogen’s step by step guide.
