To the Membership of the American Hereford Association:

The American Hereford Association (AHA) Board of Directors has always challenged staff to identify opportunities to create efficiencies for customer service and members while potentially keeping costs competitive. DNA testing continues to play a very important role in genetic improvement, parentage verification and genetic abnormality testing.

The AHA Board of Directors recently voted unanimously to transition to Weatherby’s Scientific as the AHA official DNA laboratory and not renew our current agreement with Neogen that ends Dec. 31, 2025. Weatherby’s Scientific is one of the most renowned laboratories in the world, and we are excited about the transition. Some of the reasons for the change are:

• Data management and flow of results from testing lab to AHA member.

More cost-effective DNA testing:

• MD/DB will no longer be an additional charge for combination pricing with a genomic profile($13 savings)
• Horn/Poll test will now be $8 when ordered with a genomic profile ($8 savings)
• For $30 (0-6 months) members will receive a genomic profile, parentage, and all known abnormalities
• For $38 (0-6 months) members will receive a genomic profile, parentage, all known abnormalities and horn/poll results.

Important information:

• Testing at Weatherby’s will begin June 5, 2025. At this time, no new samples will be submitted to Neogen but any samples already submitted to Neogen will remain available for additional testing until Dec. 1, 2025. On Dec. 31, 2025 all testing at Neogen will cease and Weatherby’s Scientific will be the AHA’s sole DNA testing service provider.
• The process for DNA requests will be the same as in the past. You will need to be sure to send the kits to the new address found at the bottom of the DNA Sample Submission form. The age-based pricing structure will still apply.
• All current AHA policies and terms and conditions surrounding DNA will remain the same.

The AHA is committed to providing the best possible customer service and response for any issue surrounding DNA testing. During this transition the AHA staff will be available to answer any questions, and we appreciate your patience as we work through your specific situation.

Sincerely,

Chad Breeding
President, Board of Directors, American Hereford Association

Jack Ward
Executive Vice President, American Hereford Association