Parentage Verification

DNA Testing

At time of registration males are required to be Parentage Verified through DNA.  SMA and Kappa Casein are also performed using the Maxxam DNA test. Currently, no Weaver test is available. The Brown Swiss Association prefers a BLOOD sample to be submitted on a FTA Gene Card. (Hair is still accepted, but not the recommended method.) For any male going to A.I., an SMA test is required.

Females Only

The cost for parentage verification of females is $50. This price is the same for BSA and non-BSA program members. At time of parentage request, the animal's owner will also have the option to receive genomic results for no additional cost. If the owner selects the genomics option, he will be issued a statement requiring him to sign that he has requested genomic results and given authorization to receive and publish the results. Genomic evaluations will be published on pedigrees.

NO GENOMIC RESULTS WILL BE RUN OR PUBLISHED WITHOUT CONSENT OF THE ANIMAL'S OWNER. Verbal consent over the phone will not be considered official and no test will be run without an authorized signature from the owner. If the owner so desires to receive genomic results from a female (donor dam) at a later date the additional cost will be $10.

Males Only

Parentage verification will be required for all bulls at the time of registration. Registration costs for bulls will be $50, which includes the cost of parentage verification.

Reasons for DNA Testing

Reasons for DNA  testing include: verification of an animal’s parentage, fulfillment of requirements for bull collection or embryo flush work, and completion of random Parentage Verification requests from the Brown Swiss Association.  All bulls collected for artificial insemination, whether personally or by an AI company, are required to have parentage verification.  Any IVF or ET donor is required to have Parentage Verification before embryo recovery sheets/resulting offspring can be registered with the Brown Swiss Association.  When a cow is flushed, a DNA sample should be sent in for parentage verification. (Blood is the recommended method, but hair is still accepted.)

Ordering a Parentage Test Kit

Parentage may not be performed on a non-registered animal. If you are unsure of the parentage, with an application for registry include the options for possible parents and include date of birth and tattoo number.

 If you are collecting a bull or flushing a female or want parentage verification on a registered animal, please provide the name and registration number of the animal. Once this information is taken, a letter will be sent requesting if you also want to receive female genomic results in addition to parentage verification. If results are wanted (for females only), you may request them by checking a box denoting "Parentage and Genomics." If the box is not checked and the letter not signed and returned to the office, you WILL NOT receive any additional genomic results and they WILL NOT be published on Performance Pedigrees. If you decide at a later date that you want Female Genomic results, a $10 fee will apply. BSCBA will immediately send a genomics kit for each animal.The signed letter, along with payment will need to be returned to the national office prior to receiving a registration paper or results.

Samples must be submitted to the authorized lab to complete Genomic testing and be received by the 5th of each month in order for evaluations to be processed and sent the following month. Evaluations on samples received at the lab after the 5th of the month will not be processed until the second month. (i.e. samples received February 15th will not be available until April.) Results will then be sent to the breeder.  Please contact the Brown Swiss Association for questions on genomic testing or to order a kit.   Please do NOT send samples to the Brown Swiss office.

Random Parentage Verification

The Brown Swiss Association randomly parentage verifies every 1000th female registered using genomic testing. The Executive Secretary of the Brown Swiss Association may also request random parentage verification at any time for any animal.  Any animal selected for random testing is required to have a sample submitted to the lab.