PIS Genetic Test
The professorship for animal and pathogenetics now offers the PIS genetic test (detection of "polled intersexes", see also SCHAFZUCHT 15/2018) for goats as a service at a price of 28.00 euros per sample
For animal welfare reasons, routine dehorning of goats is not allowed in Germany. Nevertheless, hornlessness is a desirable trait. When breeding for hornlessness, however, there is the problem of Polled Intersex Syndrome (PIS). The hornlessness itself is inherited dominantly and is therefore also pronounced in heterozygous animals. However, the associated intersexuality is inherited recessively. When mating two heterozygous hornless parents, 50% of the offspring are also heterozygous hornless, 25% of the offspring are horned and 25% are homozygous hornless and affected by PIS. In female, homozygous hornless goats, PIS leads to variably pronounced intersexuality and associated infertility. Due to the heterogeneous nature of intersexuality, such hornless hybrids can often not be clearly identified. The influence of PIS on male goats has not yet been sufficiently clarified, but a reduced fertility of the homozygous hornless rams is assumed. The genetic test can help to detect hornless hybrids at an early stage and thus avoid unnecessary rearing costs, as these animals are useless for breeding.
If you wish to have an investigation carried out, please send us the sample material together with the completed investigation order. As we are not a routine laboratory, the processing may take a little longer. Please feel free to contact us if you need the results by a fixed date. If you send us larger quantities of samples (>30 pcs.) for analysis, please notify us by telephone or e-mail first. A quantity discount is possible for large orders. Please do not hesitate to contact us!