Game Testing

Game farms contribute largely to conservation by maintaining natural habitat and by providing resources to support the reintroduction of threatened species. The practicality of conservation can however be challenging. Game farms typically have fragmented populations that require more intensive management. Perhaps the main concern is the ability of a population to react and adapt to environmental challenges. A population with reduced genetic diversity may be more susceptible to diseases and less adaptable to environmental factors. Therefore, it becomes the game breeder’s responsibility to regulate the species and manage their gene pool.

Unistel Medical Laboratories provides the following services for game breeders:

DNA Profile Testing and Parentage verification

Unistel Medical Laboratories offers DNA typing or profiling for game breeders, which can be used for registration purposes and parentage/relationship testing. DNA Profiling, also known as “genotyping” establishes a genetic code for individual animals of every breed. This test does not determine breed type; rather it identifies specific gene markers that are inherited from both parents. At Unistel Medical Laboratories we can preform DNA typing on more than twenty Bovidae species (including buffalo, sable, roan, wildebeest and impala to name a few), rhinoceros, zebra and quagga.

Diversity Index

All samples are catalogued, permanently stored, and remain the property of the owner of the animal.

Animal Genetics price list documents can here found here.