Myostatin Gene
The aim of the Society is to ensure the preservation of the breed, to promote and encourage the improvement of the Irish Moiled breed whilst maintaining the breeds purity and the breeds characteristics, which would be compromised by the myostatin gene. The Society has taken the decision to discourage the myostatin gene in the breed.
The actions that the Society have implemented to discourage myostatin within the breed are;
All animals to be entered into the Herdbook after 01/04/2023 that carry the myostatin gene(s) and any animal that is already entered into the Herdbook that have been identified by the Society to carry the myostatin gene(s) will have their myostatin status summarised after the animal’s name by an abbreviation e.g. (M1), (M2). This will allow breeders to easily identify animals that carry the myostatin gene(s) both by looking at the animals zootechnical certificate or by looking the animal up in the Herdbook on the Grassroots software system.
(MUN) will be a temporary abbreviation after an animal’s name for animals that have not got a satisfactory DNA myostatin result but have a sire and/or dam that carries the myostatin gene(s).
For animals that carry the myostatin gene(s), i.e (M1) and (M2) animals, breeders are able to know which variant(s) of myostatin that animal carries, these details can be found on both the animals zootechnical certificate at Number 4, titled…’Class within the main section of the breeding book where the animal is entered’ and also in the Herdbook on the Grassroots software system at the animals information section at the ‘Registration Type’ part.
Examples
(M1) F94L – means the animal has 1 copy of the F94L myostatin variant.
(M1) C313Y – means the animal has 1 copy of the C313Y myostatin variant.
(M2) 2 x F94L – means that the animal has 2 copies of the F94L myostatin variant.
(M2) F94L + C313y – means that animals have 2 copies of myostatin, 1 of which is the F94L variant and 1 of which is the C313Y variant.
Further Information
Bull calves born after 1st Jan 2024 will only be entered into class 1 of the main section of the Herdbook if they are free of the myostatin gene. Bulls born after 01/01/2024 with 1 or 2 copies of the myostatin gene, the owners will be given the opportunity by the Society to retract the registration request for that animal or if the breeder decides to proceed with the registration, then that animal will be entered into class 2 of the main section of the Herdbook. (The Breeding Programme will be amended accordingly)
Females born after 1st Jan 2024 that carry 2 copies of the myostatin gene (a double copy of the same variant or 2 copies of any 2 variants) will be entered into class 2 of the main section of the Herdbook. (The Breeding Programme will be amended accordingly).
The Society will constantly review the myostatin situation in the breed, and may implement more stringent rules in the future, if the level of myostatin in the breed increases.