The Canadian Charolais Association has decided to convert from microsatellite (STR) to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) technology for all of our DNA samples. Many breeds in the industry have or are in the process of converting technologies. The CCA will continue to retain our successful partnership with Maxxam, a leader in the provision of analytical DNA and parentage verification.
The impact to the breeder will be minimal; hair samples will still be submitted to Maxxam and at no change in cost. When obtaining a hair sample, please ensure that you have approximately 65 hairs to submit to the lab.
Parentage verification will be completed using a panel of 111 SNP markers that include all 100 of the globally ISAG recommended core markers. In all cases, we will use our best efforts to not exceed 15 business day turnaround times for parentage verifications.
The CCA will be building an initial training population through the efforts of both the CCA and the American International Charolais Association. Once we have established a training population specific to our Charolais herd we can apply this information and work towards a genomically enhanced EPD. Genomically enhanced EPDs will ultimately increase the accuracies on young animals with no or few progeny.
View the Do and Do Not of TSU Sampling
View the TSU Application Guide
Canadian Charolais Association DNA Requirements
✓ Walking sires must have DNA on file
✓ ALL AI sires, including semen from on-‐farm collection must be Parent Verified (Sire AND Dam)
✓ ALL Full French animals (male and female) must be Parent Verified
✓ Embryo Transfer calves must be Parent Verified
✓ Donor Dams must have DNA on file