EDITORIAL / ÉDITORIAL
RUMINATIONS Krista Cressman General Manager / directrice générale, Jersey Canada Things have a way of looking simple from a distance, but become increasingly complex the closer we get, and this sure has been the case with the JX suffix. At our AGM we received resolutions from Ontario and Quebec which both indicated the concern about JX and the need for further research and discussion. While it looked 'mighty easy' when I first tackled the issue, I can honestly say that it really is not. It is an issue with complexity and nuance and in the last two months my own understanding and awareness has changed. As a breed association we have the task of looking ahead and planning for the future while we stand here in the present adhering to our Bylaws to guide us. In Canada, according to our bylaws, we only register Canadian bulls if they are pure. We do not have in-between or 'grades' of purity for Canadian bulls, so we cannot directly translate our Canadian registration system with the USA use of JX and brackets. The JX suffix is used by the US to identify the presence of another breed in a pedigree. It is a simple solution and one that is easily noticed with a generation count (in brackets) where after 6 generations the JX suffix and brackets disappear. Most of the time, a (5) or (6) animal will qualify for registration to Canadian standards but not every time. When in doubt, just give Rachel our registrar a call. The more nuanced part of the issue boils down to what is purity? According to our bylaws, purity of foreign-born animals
is based on a 31/32 rule which means 31 of the animal's ancestors must be registered Jersey's, which translates into 96.875% pure. According to our standards and the Animal Pedigree Act, this is enough, but it just isn't that simple. In conversation with members, some questions were posed to me and they had me thinking critically. Questions like “is an animal that has another breed within its 6 generation lineage as ‘pure’ and considered equal to an animal that has never had another breed in its line? Could it change what is a truly unique biological make up that makes them stand apart?” It was at this point that I reached out to a geneticist and asked about the 31/32 animals and whether including them in our herd book could have negative impacts on the genetic pool or "water down" what make Jerseys unique as a breed. The response was that allowing the 31/32 animals into the herd book won't "water down" the genetic pool. She shared with me some research studies and indicated that "they emphasize the importance of including the 31/32 animals, as well as the lack of impact they have on effecting the purity of the breed especially if you are continuing to select for Jersey traits". The response from the geneticist supported the bylaw change (which implemented the 31/32 rule) voted by the Jersey Canada membership in 2017, but strangely, it did not feel as reassuring as I expected. Upon further "rumination" I realized that science alone cannot balance this
6 JUNE / JUIN 2021 Canadian Jersey Breeder / Eleveur de Jersey Canadien
issue. It is an issue for each and every producer, as a business owner and a custodian of the breed, to decide. Here at Jersey Canada we work within the mandate of our bylaws on who we register in the herdbook. We are active in our efforts to regularly provide input to Lactanet on the weighting of various traits in their calculations or sharing concerns from our membership. We review and provide input into the scoring cards for classification. We also use our position to advocate on behalf of our members on issues that impact the breed whenever we can, and share resources and education that will support the success of our members. Our job ensuring the integrity of the herdbook and breed is not just about who gets registered, but also about setting the standards for what an ideal Jersey looks like, and this is something that will inevitably shift over time, and is guided by you, our members. As we move forward in 2021, you will be seeing more articles and material on JX animals and their potential impacts. We are looking at ways to share more information and perhaps even provide lists following proof releases to help highlight bulls with JX in their pedigrees or high inbreeding coefficients etc. We are looking at ways to be innovative with how we connect and help knowledge to be shared from member to member, and we encourage you to reach out if you have ideas or ways to accomplish this. - K.C.
