Animal Breeding

Animal Breeding

A breed is a group of animals of common origin within a species that has certain distinguishing characters that are not found in other members of the same species like general appearance and others striking features.

Breeding involves mating parents of different varieties each having some desired trait which are passed onto the offspring.

Objectives of Animal Breeding

Animal breeding aims at improving the genotypes of domesticated animals to increase their yield and improve the desirable qualities to produce milk, egg and meat.

When breeding takes place between animals of the same breed, it is called inbreeding. The cross between different breeds is called outbreeding.

1. Inbreeding

Inbreeding refers to the mating of closely related animals within the same breed for about 4-6 generations. Superior males and superior females of the same breed are identified and mated in pairs. It helps in the accumulation of superior genes and elimination of genes which are undesirable.

Hissardale is a new breed of sheep developed in Punjab by crossing Bikaneri (Magra) ewes and Australian Marino rams.

Inbreeding depression: Continued inbreeding reduces fertility and productivity. Inbreeding exposes harmful recessive genes that are eliminated by selection.

2. Outbreeding

It is the breeding of unrelated animals. The offsprings formed are called hybrids. The hybrids are stronger and vigorous than their parents. Cross between two different species with desirable features of economic value are mated. Let’s see what cross produce a mule.

Mule is superior to horse in strength, intelligence, ability to work and resistance to diseases but they are sterile.

3. Heterosis

The superiority of the hybrid obtained by cross breeding is called as heterosis or hybrid vigour.

Effects of hybrid vigour in animal breeding

·                 Increased production of milk by cattle

·                 Increased production of egg by poultry

·                 High quality of meat is produced

·                 Increased growth rate in domesticated animals