@article {3672,
	title = {BRIEF COMMUNICATION: Effects of the SLICK gene on heat tolerance in grazing dairy cattle},
	journal = {New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production},
	volume = {83},
	year = {2023},
	month = {01/2023},
	pages = {5-7},
	address = {Rotorua},
	abstract = {<p>The heat tolerance of Senepol beef cattle (Bos taurus) has been causally linked to a mutation in the prolactin receptor (PRLR) on BTA20. This variant of PRLR has become known as the SLICK gene because it is also associated with a short-hair coat. We have investigated the heat tolerance of New Zealand dairy cattle bred to carry the SLICK gene, using measurement of vaginal temperature. Hair length differed (P\&lt;0.001) between SLICKs and controls at the neck (4.3 {\textpm} 0.5 mm vs 13.8 {\textpm} 1.2 mm, respectively), shoulder (6.5 {\textpm} 0.7 mm vs 14.9 {\textpm} 1.5 mm, respectively) and pin bone (6.9 {\textpm} 0.6 mm vs 15,2 {\textpm}1.4 mm, respectively). Vaginal temperatures of SLICK animals were 0.5 - 1{\textdegree}C lower than controls at peak ambient temperature (28.4{\textdegree}C; 16.00h). SLICK dairy cattle show a markedly improved ability for temperature homeostasis under mild heat load, relative to control cattle. Keywords: heat tolerance; dairy cattle; SLICK; genetics</p>
},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {GM Worth and EG Donkersloot and RJ Spelman and SR Davis}
}
