Instructions for submitting cattle for consideration
We recommend reading this page in its entirety before proceeding to submit cattle for registration.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Miniature Jersey Herd Book & Registry is a privately owned registry. Cattle entrants or pending members, may be rejected for any reason if we feel that the submitted cattle entrant or member will not benefit the membership as a whole and/or our goal of protection of our membership, pedigree information and the preservation of this breed.
Required Genetic Testing Information:
- Any cow/bull submitted for consideration into the Herd Book & Registry must be a minimum of 7/8th Jersey and/or provide other proof of lineage. Cattle may be submitted to the Herd Book Review Panel for consideration if not registered at all (Original Animal), yet they have the desired traits and qualities that we are seeking to preserve. All cattle seeking entry into the Herd Book must qualify for entry using the set of policies below. Any cattle who have outgrown the 44" maximum height at or before the age of three years and were not submitted and accepted prior to outgrowing, will receive only a "Reference" animal status and will not receive a Certificate of Registration. Cattle who have outgrown our height maximum may be sumitted and accepted at no charge and will be referred to as a "Reference" animal only. Please contact the Administration using the "Contact Us" form for further directions.
- All bulls, cows and calves must be DNA typed with UC Davis (preferred), Texas A&M Genetics Labs or GeneSeek. These DNA results will be made public to the MJHB&R membership in the Pedigree Listing portion of the site. If you are submitting an animal for DNA in which the sire or dam have NOT been DNA typed previously with any Lab, your new submission will begin the proven lineage for that animal (OA - original animal), no Parental Verification is needed on this original animal.
- If the DNA of the parents is later found to have been mapped, the Case Number(s) may then be submitted to the Lab used and they will update the files on applicable animals and parental verification can then be confirmed.
- You must check the "Parental Verification" box on their form to prevent additional charges and provide the case number(s) if you know the parents DNA is on file. These can be located within the pages of the Herd Book. In other words, if you own the bull, cow and the new calf that is being submitted, give the info of the sire and dam on the new calf submission form so that your calf will trace back to the proper sire and dam. This is the Parental Verification (PV). Only the Genetic Marker Report can be used to verify parents. Please provide a copy of the results via email or postal mail to the Herd Book & Registry. Parental Verification is FREE is requested upon submission of the orginal sample and is recommmended for accuracy of the records.
You will own your animals' DNA information and it can only be accessed by you. - The cost is $76 for the "DNA Package" which includes: Genetic Marker Report, A2 Beta Casein, Chondro (BD1 only) and Polled testing as of November 1, 2016. these are required for registry. Standard AJCA registered cows used in a downsizing program must have the DNA package results submitted to the MJHB&R along with a copy of the AJCA Registration Certificate, upon submission of the cow. Forms are located on the VGL (Veterinary Genetics Laboratory) and Texas A&M Genetics Lab websites, paid directly to the Lab used. Gene Seek has separate charges for their services. All DNA typing accepted for this Herd Book & Registry will be done by UC Davis (preferred), Texas A&M Genetics Labs or Gene Seek only and may be performed by using tail switch hairs…no drawing of blood is necessary. In cases where bull semen is available, semen straws may be submitted for genomic mapping.
All semen MUST be Chondrodysplasia tested and negative before entry of the bull into the Herd Book & Registry or for the Semen Sales page. Please contact the Lab directly for special handling instructions for frozen semen. Private accounts can be set up online for free with each Lab. at http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/ , www.texasa&mgeneticslab.com or contact Gene Seek at
1-402-435-0665 - We recommend that you establish all of your sires/bulls first, cows second, calves last so that the calves will trace back to those parents. If you keep more than one breeding aged bull on your premises, you will have to tell them the identities of ALL possible sires to prevent having to retest at an additional cost. Call them for more information if you are unsure...
1-530-752-2211 (UCD), 1-979-845-0229 (TA&M) and 1-402-435-0665 (Gene Seek). - We have secured special pricing for Genetic Marker Report, A2 Beta Casein, Polling and Chondro testing as a "package" with both UCD and TA&M Labs. Their prices will be honored if done on the SAME animal at the time of submission. Other lowered pricing is in effect for single tests. See their websites for details. If ordering a Polled test for an offspring and the sire and dam are both on file, you may replace the Chondro test with the Polled test for the same price. Chondro is NOT needed on offspring if both negative parents are on file with the MJHB&R.
Tattooing/ID, Other Registry Affiliation & Size Limits:
- All calves born on your farm must be tattooed with your farm’s initials or herd letters of your choice. You may use left or right ear, but it must be indicated on the form for submission. Green ink is preferred and remains more legible over time. Please email us for herd/farm letter assignment to establish your herd letters. We will record your chosen herd/farm letters for the permanent record. This set of number(s)/letter(s) or blends will be used to tattoo all cattle offspring born on your farm. Any other tattoos on the animal at the time or purchase will be recorded. No duplicate herd/farm letters allowed. First come, first served with choices of identifying letters. Please have at least three choices in mind, in case your first choice is already taken.
- If the animal is registered in more than one registry, please note this on the submision form alongside each other, including registry numbers for both, in the proper spaces. This will allow interested parties to cross reference cattle easily in the Herd Book Pedigree listing.
We have corrected 71 pedigrees to date using the DNA profiling. Some information reported in the MJHB&R will be different than in the other registries or presented on their Ceritifcates of Registration. The MJHB&R is DNA proven and is most reliable..
You may submit the form online or you may print a copy of the completed submission form and mail it along with appropriate fees listed on the fee schedule to: MJHB, ATTN: Administrator, P.O. Box 2022, Cleveland, GA 30528 - All calves may be considered for entry into the Herd Book & Registry as soon as their DNA results are completed, fees are paid and submitted to the Administration of the MJHB. Calves will be considered for registration automatically if the dam and sire are both on file with the MJHB&R. Calves purchased or born to a small standard Jersey dam will not be considered until the dam is submitted for consideration or put on file if accepted, as a "Reference" animal. Calves born from a miniature Jersey bull and a small standard Jersey dam in the down sizing program will require the standard parent to be submitted for inspection prior to the offspring being submitted for registration. The small standard Jersey dam will also have to be Vet Height Certified prior to submission. This will apply to all offspring which have at least one parent which is a fully small standard female Jersey. These offspring will be considered part of a downsizing program, but will received a Certificate of Registration. Offspring from standard Jersey sires will not be accepted, no exceptions.
- When submitting cattle offspring that derive from dams from standard Jersey cow lineages, such cattle shall not be issued permanent Certificates of Registration until the age of three years is attained. At this age, a Certified Vet Height form printed from this website must also be completed, signed and submitted by your Veterinarian to attest that the cow being submitted is in fact less than our 44" maximum size limit. If at any time in the future this certified animal outgrows our height maximum of 44" by the age of three years, the cow may be rejected and the MJHB&R Certificate of Registration may be revoked, but on a case by case situation. This is to keep our Herd Book and Registry growing and creating actual miniature cattle who remain in the miniature or small standard ranges in height, even after maturity. All offspring submitted which have a standard Jersey dam, must be Vet Height Certified, no exceptions.
- All cattle at the age of three years will receive a permanent Certificate of Registration at no extra charge. This must be completed within 3 months of the animal turning age three years or the animal may be removed from the MJHB and the temporary Certificate of Registration will be revoked. Fees may apply after 90 days.
Information/Photo Privacy Policy:
- All cattle photos and information submitted and accepted for publication in this Herd Book and Registry become the property of the Herd Book and Registry. By submitting your cattle for entry and/or registration, you are agreeing to allow the Herd Book and Registry to use the pictures and as well as any information solely on this site. Photos and information will not be sold, traded or bartered to other sites or for any other purpose and may not be removed unless an animal is found to be incorrect, deceptive or falsified in bloodlines.
Certificate of Registration & Transfers:
- Please review the FEE SCHEDULE page.
POLICIES and ADDENDUMS:
- As of January 1, 2016, we will no longer identify cattle as "polled" unless they have had the DNA Polled/Horned test done and those results on file with the MJHB&R. Many times animals have been "de-horned" when a buyer receives a new animal...they report the animal to be "polled" because it appears to be so, with the absence of horns, therefore it is assumed to be polled. It may be considered deceptive by some members as well as Buyers, to receive a Certificate of Registration which indentifies the animal as "polled" when in fact it had been de-horned prior to their ownership.
The Miniature Jersey Herd Book & Registry will require the DNA Polled test to be done after November 1, 2016. If the DNA Polled test results are NOT on file with the MJHB&R at the time of animal submission, the horns will be identifed as "unknown" on the Certificate of Registration. If the test results are submitted BEFORE the Certificate is printed for any animal, the results will be printed on the Certificate. If the results are submitted AFTER the Certificate has been printed, there will be a $5 surcharge for correction and replacement.
This new policy will affect all Certificates of Registration issued after the date of November 1, 2016. Certificates before this date will remain unchanged and accepted as they are currently. It is the responsiblity of the Buyer to have the Polled/Horned test done prior to any submission if the horns are absent on any animal that is purchased OR currently owned PRIOR to submission to the MJHB&R. An oral or verbal report of known, de-horned or polled animals will not be accepted. Only the official DNA Polled/Horned test results will be accepted on each animal moving forward from this date. This will assure that our MJHB&R reports accurate records, backed by DNA as our rule, on each of our entries, establishing the MJHB&R THE BEST resource for our breed out there today.
2. If you have submitted cow tail switch hairs OR a semen straw for DNA/Chondro testing and then later you desire to have the A2 Genotyping test performed on this same cow/bull, you may send the appropriate form and payment ONLY to UCDavis or Texas A&M Labs. They will pull the needed info from the current sample in their files without having to re-submit more tail hairs or another semen straw. You will need to provide them with the previous Case Number on this cow/bull. It is cost effective to have the required 4-test package done at the same time.
It is also recommended by UCDavis/Texas A&M that you keep additional tail hairs in a properly labled paper envelope in your personal files for each of your animals to assure if ever needed, you will have them.
3. INBREEDING / LINEBREEDING
For the purposes of achieveing and maintaining the purity of our stock for the Herd Book, no cattle which are inbred (ie: daughters bred directly to the sire, full brother and full sisters to each other or dam to son) will be accepted for entry after August 31, 2013. Any cattle carrying an inbred calf, whether or not intentional, that is conceived PRIOR to this date, or cattle that have been inbred in their past but prior to this date, will be accepted. We currently have a sizeable gene pool to choose from for dams and sires, therefore there is no need to inbreed our cattle at this time. A breeder may certainly choose to continue this practice to develop his/her herd as he sees fit, but those resulting offspring will not be permitted into the Herd Book & Registry. Any resulting offspring from inbred or linebred cattle may be bred to unrelated animals for consideration of entry. This policy was voted on and established by the membership of the Herd Book. We may revisit this isssue at anytime in the future and amend this policy as we see our needs change.
4. SIZE LIMITATION FOR COW AND BULL SUBMISSION AND/OR ACCEPTANCE
As of January 1, 2014.
All miniature Jersey bulls that are submitted to the Herd Book & Registry must be no taller than 44" at the highest point of the hip bone at three years of age. A Certified Vet Height Form may be required. Bulls over this height at or before three years of age, will not be accepted. Bulls already registered in the MJHB which grow above the 44" maximum after three years of age, will be grandfathered into this policy, dependant on how far over the limit they grow. More than 1" of growth after 44" is reached and after three years of age will disqualify this bull from the MJHB&R, except of the "Reference" status. Bulls which exceed this height maximum at maturity and are already listed in the Pedigree Listing will be considered a "Reference" animal in the Pedigree pages of the website, but not removed. This will allow their information, photo and lineages to connect to offspring born from this bull.
Our goal is to create actual miniatures and bulls which exceed the height maximum will more than likely create larger offspring. Please consider the size of your cow and bull when submitting male offspring to the MJHB&R. If they are submitted when under one year of age and they outgrow the maximum height of 44" at or before three years, they will be disqualified and their certificate of Registration revoked, and moved to the Reference section of the site, if no offspring exist.
All cows submitted to the Herd Book & Registry for entry must be no taller the 44" at the highest point of the hip bone at the age of three years. Any cows which have exceeded the maximum of 44" by age three years as a new entry will be given Reference status only, no Certificate of Registration will be issued. (See policies 3 & 4 under Size Limits above for clarification)
As of April 30, 2014,
44" cows may ONLY be bred to Herd Book registered miniature bulls in order to have their offspring automatically considered for entry. Bulls which are not currently registered in the Herd Book, but used to breed Herd Book & Registry cows, must then be submitted for consideration for entry. It will be the burden of the breeder/submitter to secure and submit this bull for DNA genetic typing. There will be NO CHARGE for the entry of any outside bull once the DNA package has been completed and results reported to the Administrator of the MJHB&R. A picture of any outside bull as well as the DNA results must be on file prior to the birth of the calf. Any outside bulls used for mating must be qualified and meet the criteria already established in the MJHB&R Standards to be considered. Such bulls may be placed in the MJHB&R for information purposes only, with no Certificate of Registration issued.
It is recommended to submit known information and pictures of any bulls to be considered in this manner, to the HB Administrator/Review Panel prior to having any DNA performed.
A Certificate of Registration with the MJHB&R will not be issued to the owner of the bull. The owner of the bull will be required to become a member of the MJHB and submit the $20 fee to receive the Certificate. Outside bulls which are used for mating, but due to extenuating circumstances such as death, cannot locate the bull, etc, will require the calf to be sent to the Review Panel for consideration of entry. The Review Panel's decision will be final.
5. NAMING OF COWS / CALVES / BULLS
As of June 1, 2014,
All cattle which are purchased, given or otherwise obtained from any source other than the actual breeder of the animal, may carry a general or generic name, but not the herd letters or name of a farm of which this animal was not bred. Only the actual breeder of an animal can use his/her farm name or letters in naming of an animal.
ie: If a bred cow is purchased and the calf is then born at a different farm, that calf should carry the prefix or farm letters of the farm of which the cow was bred, in some form in the name. If the calf born did not come from a recognized farm with a prefix or name or a known breeder, it shall carry a general/generic name without any farm name prefix .
It is HIGHLY recommended that all breeders name and register all of their stock prior to selling to prevent problems in the naming of their stock after the sale.
If a breeder sells an animal and fails to properly name and register such animal prior to selling, then the purchaser has the right to name the animal, but must include the farm initials or name of the acutal breeder. This animal shall NOT carry the purchasers' herd letters or farm name, but instead shall carry a general or generic name only, unless the actual breeder is given credit in the naming of the animal. This will prevent the assumption on anyone's part, of an animal tracing back to a particular farm's bloodlines or stock in which it did not originate.
ie: Ann purchases a cow from her neighbor and her neighbor only had this one cow remaining. Ann's neighbor is the actual breeder of this animal but is leaving the cow business and does not have a recognized farm name, nor did they register this cow. Ann can name or call the cow "Daisy", but she cannot register this cow under her own farm name of "Green Hill Farm Daisy" or use it's initials of "GHF Daisy" to register this cow. A generic name must be used for registration of this animal.
As of July 9, 2015:
The MJHB&R will recognize the owner of the DAM at the time of breeding, as the one who holds the naming rights of the cows' offspring. The purchase of a bred cow which results in the birth of a live offspring will carry the actual breeder of the cows' farm name or initials in the naming of this single offspring. This same policy will not provide for the use of purchased bull semen. Breeders who select and purchase bull semen have the full right to name their offspring as their own with no regard to the sire in naming, since they are the dam owner and actual breeder.
All cattle found later to be bred by a different person than stated by the policies on our website, records, or other registry papers will be corrected if an actual breeder is identified and proven, to assure that the actual breeder is always given proper credit.
6. LEASES / ALTERNATE BREEDING PROGRAMS
At this time, the MJHB&R does not recognize or have a program for alternative breeding programs such as livestock leases, rentals, or otherwise. All cattle submitted to and accepted by this registry must be fully owned by and in the name (or farm name) of the member submitter. This also applies when using standard Jersey dams and breeding them with registered Miniature Jersey bulls or semen. The standard dams must be registered with the AJCA, a copy of their Registration Certificate and DNA results will be required and the AJCA Certificates must be in the actual breeder/owner name. No exceptions.
7. USE AND APPLICATION OF PRIVATE MEMBER/CATTLE INFORMATION
As of Jun 1, 2018:
All paid memberships will require at least one animal per year, to be submitted and entered into the Registry and Herd Book. Members who join to only use our recorded pedigrees and private information will no longer be allowed. All information in the Herd Book is copyright protected and is to be held privately and not shared with other registries or persons without written permission by the Registrar. Any paid members sharing their passwords or other private copyrighted materials from the MJHB&R without permission, will be permanently banned. If no animals are registered in a one year period from the initial joining or renewal date, the memberhsip will be cancelled and refunds will not be issued.
8. As of January 1, 2022:
UCDavis VGL has now added a priority list of registeries to it's offerings. If you select the MJHB&R as your primary registry, they will automatically send copies of your DNA reports to the MJHB&R as they are completed. Your Certificate of Registration will be mailed out quicker if this feature is used, as it reduces the waiting time for us to receive all of the information to complete your Certificate.