Importance of Animal Breeding
Animal breeding
Animal breeding is a branch of animal science that addresses the evaluation (using best linear unbiased prediction and other methods) of the genetic value (estimated breeding value, EBV) of livestock. Selecting for breeding animals with superior EBV in growth rate, egg, meat, milk, or wool production, or with other desirable traits has revolutionized livestock production throughout the world.
Why is genetic improvement important in animal breeding?
Over time, more animals in the herd will be born with that good trait. This helps producers achieve their breeding goal. The process of selecting animals based on their genetics has helped advance agricultural productivity over the past 50 years. A good example of genetic improvement is in poultry breeding.
Why is genetic diversity important in farm animals?
Farm animal genetic diversity is required to meet current production needs in various environments, to allow sustained genetic improvement, and to facilitate rapid adaptation to changing breeding objectives. Production efficiency in pastoral species is closely tied to the use of diverse genetic type …
Why do producers select animals based on their genetics?
This helps producers achieve their breeding goal. The process of selecting animals based on their genetics has helped advance agricultural productivity over the past 50 years. A good example of genetic improvement is in poultry breeding. Between 1957 and 2001, poultry breeders selected traits to increase the body weight of broiler (meat) chickens.
What increases the genetic variance of an animal?
Introduction of new and unrelated animals into the herd may increase the genetic variance. Effective selection within a group of animals over a number of generations decreases the genetic variance. The use of inbreeding as a system of mating also reduces the genetic variance.
What is the significance of animal breeding?
Animal breeding plays an important part in progressing animal production systems, from conventional to organics. By improving the abilities of animals for certain traits entire populations can be enhanced, creating benefits for farmers, consumers, and the environment.
Why is genetics important to cattle breeding?
Selecting genetically superior sires is the fastest approach to herd improvement and ultimately bottom line profitability. Not every bull will fit your production scenario. Resources and goals are different for each cow-calf operation.
What is animal breeding and genetics all about?
The animal breeding and genetics sections work to provide new scientific discoveries to age-old livestock production problems to help producers and consumers.
How does genes affect animal productivity?
The productive potential of any animal is defined by its genetic makeup that then interacts with environmental factors eg nutrition, to determine the extent to which the potential is realised. This productive potential can be measured by observing particular traits.
How genetics relates to improvement in livestock production?
Genetic improvement occurs when the genetic merit is improved through selection. The improvement in genetic merit refers to the overall improvement in a flock brought about by selection for a number of traits that contribute to the flock's breeding objective, such as high growth rate or carcase yield.
What are the advantages of selective breeding in animals?
Benefits of selective breeding include: new varieties may be economically important, by producing more or better quality food. animals can be selected that cannot cause harm, for example cattle without horns.
Why is genetic important?
Understanding genetic factors and genetic disorders is important in learning more about promoting health and preventing disease. Some genetic changes have been associated with an increased risk of having a child with a birth defect or developmental disability or developing diseases such as cancer or heart disease.
What are the factors affecting animal breeding?
These include: libido, mating ability, serving capacity, and social dominance. These factors are only evaluated by watching the herd bull during the breeding season.
How is genetics related to animal science?
Genetic engineering is another useful tool in animal production. Genetic engineering introduces new genes to the food animal population. Animal breeders are interested in using this technology to increase animal productivity, improve resistance to diseases and parasites, and make food more nutritious.
Why is genetics important in animals?
The information in an organism's genes provides a biological blueprint for its appearance, function and survival and largely defines its similarities and differences with other organisms. The genetics of livestock are therefore a critical factor influencing animal production and health.
What are animal genes?
A gene is a specific DNA sequence that leads to the expression of an inherited characteristic. For example, there are genes that determine eye color, coat color, and other body characteristics.
How does cow genetics work?
How are beef genetics measured? Genetic indexes are effective tools in measuring beef genetics. Most indexes use a combination of traits to select animals that excel in a certain area that farmers want to focus on. Consider the reliability of traits when reading a bull proof and selecting animals to mate.
What is the most important trait for beef cattle to have Why?
Udder Soundness One of the most important functional traits of a beef cow is udder and teat conformation, and they appear to be heritable.
What should be considered in selecting a breed of cattle?
Basics to consider in selecting a bull include breed type, parentage (pedigree), physical appearance, performance records and genetics. Each one of these factors was discussed by Joe Paschal of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension during the 2018 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course.
How is genetic engineering similar to and different than selective breeding?
Selective breeding makes use of existing, naturally present gene variants in a species? and the natural process of breeding. Genetic engineering involves a direct change to an organism's genome in the laboratory. Gene variants made through genetic engineering can be passed from one generation to the next.
What is the goal of breeding?
The goal of their breeding program then becomes to produce animals that have these good traits. Once an animal is born with a good trait, that trait can be passed to the next generation. Over time, more animals in the herd will be born with that good trait. This helps producers achieve their breeding goal.
How do animals inherit traits?
As scientific understanding of genetics improved, it became clear that animals inherit traits from their parents. Traits are passed on through genes, which are small bits of information in your cells. Modern animal breeders use a lot of information to select which animals will become parents of the next generation.
Why are chickens so productive?
Because today’s chickens grow faster and more efficiently, poultry producers can produce more chicken , using less feed and in a shorter amount of time. More productive chickens means more meat in the supermarket.
Why do breeders use information?
Modern animal breeders use a lot of information to select which animals will become parents of the next generation. They consider the records they have kept for their animals. They might want to increase dairy cow milk production or wool production in sheep.
What are some examples of genetic improvement?
A good example of genetic improvement is in poultry breeding. Between 1957 and 2001, poultry breeders selected traits to increase the body weight of broiler (meat) chickens. Due in large part to genetic selection, broiler body weight at eight-weeks of age has increased from 1.8 pounds to 6.9 pounds. Improvements in poultry breeding have generated ...
What is the importance of animal breeding?
Animal breeding plays an important part in progressing animal production systems, from conventional to organics. By improving the abilities of animals for certain traits entire populations can be enhanced, creating benefits for farmers, consumers, and the environment.
What are the advantages of breeding?
Research has shown that crossbred cows can have many advantages, including a 6 percent higher calving rate, a 4 percent higher calf survival rate, an 8 percent increase in efficiency, a 38 percent increase in longevity and a 23 percent increase in lifetime productivity.
What is the importance of animal and plant breeding?
This has been used to improve certain characteristics for example: higher food yields. higher nutritional values. pest and disease resistance.
What is the purpose of breed?
A breeding objective describes characteristics that affect profit the most, as well as how important each trait is to profit. A breeding objective should be specific, measureable and attainable.
Why is genetic diversity important in livestock?
Farm animal genetic diversity is required to meet current production needs in various environments, to allow sustained genetic improvement, and to facilitate rapid adaptation to changing breeding objectives.
How is production efficiency related to pastoral species?
Production efficiency in pastoral species is closely tied to the use of diverse genetic types, but greater genetic uniformity has evolved in intensively raised species. In poultry, breeding decisions are directed by a few multinational companies and involve intense selection, the use of distinct production lines, and very large populations.
Why is it important to cross breeds?
Crossing breeds of animals can be really beneficial for your herd because it introduces hybrid vigor. Hybrid vigor means that two animals who are randomly selected and unrelated are bred and their offspring are more thrifty, lively, and can even have better production than purebred livestock. Why? Because all those weird recessive health problems you turn up when breeding the same breed together get trumped by dominant, healthy traits. Now, I italicized the words random and unrelated for a reason. You can’t achieve hybrid vigor with distant cousins. Or half-siblings. You really have to cross two totally different breeds.
Why are cattle bred in certain ways?
Most of the time, livestock are bred a certain way so that they can maximize production. I’m going to stick with the example of different breeds of dairy cows here because that is what I have the most experience with.
How are dairy cows bred?
Usually, dairy cows are bred by AI or artificial insemination. This is really nice because you avoid having a bull on the farm. Bulls are nothing to mess with, owning a bull requires experience, especially if you just have a hobby farm. I personally would never, ever own a bull or a stallion. Male animals that are not castrated are basically thousands of pounds of raging hormones. If they have regular opportunities to breed, usually they are manageable {personality also plays into this}. However, I urge you to use caution when considering whether or not to own one. AI is affordable, quick, and much safer for you and your animals. It also allows you to breed to animals across the country or even across the globe, which is really cool!
What is recessive gene?
Recessive: A gene that is passive to a dominant gene. Example: If an animal has a gene for white and a gene for black, the animal will be black because the white gene is recessive. You must have two recessive traits for the white color to appear.
Do animals feel emotions?
Now, a note on animal welfare: Don’t be sad. It really isn’t sad. The mama’s don’t care and the babies don’t care. Animals are not humans and they do not feel emotions the same way humans do. I promise. They definitely have emotions, but they are not the same as ours.
How does genetic engineering help animals?
Genetic engineering introduces new genes to the food animal population. Animal breeders are interested in using this technology to increase animal productivity , improve resistance to diseases and parasites , and make food more nutritious. Genetically engineered animals are regulated by the FDA under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.
What is cloning in animal science?
Cloning is another form of biotechnology used in animal production. Identical twins are an example of naturally occurring cloning. In recent years, scientists have figured out how to make clones in the lab.
What is the purpose of biotechnology?
Scientists and animal breeders use biotechnology to produce healthier animals, make breeding easier and to produce more food for people. Animal breeders can improve the breeding process through techniques like artificial insemination, cloning and genetic engineering.
How does inbreeding reduce genetic variance?
The use of inbreeding as a system of mating also reduces the genetic variance. Any management practice that ensures uniform treatment of animals reduces environmental variance. For example, if you give each animal the same amount and quality of feed, you reduce environmental variance.
Why do herds differ in genetic makeup?
This is natural because herds differ in genetic makeup and because there are many different environmental circumstances from herd to herd or within a herd from year to year.
How to improve low heritability traits?
You can make more improvement in low heritability traits by using mating systems that take advantage of heterosis (hybrid vigor). As a general rule, the lower the heritability of a trait, the greater the heterotic response from various outbreeding mating systems.
How does heritability decrease?
The numerical value of a heritability estimate can be increased or decreased by changes in either of its component parts. An increase results from a reduction in the environmental variance or from an increase in genetic variance. Conversely, a decrease results from an increase in environmental variance or from a reduction in genetic variance.
What is the heritability of a family unit?
In general, each estimate of heritability is based on the degree of resemblance among related individuals vs. non-related individuals in some animal population. Family units most often used to evaluate degree of resemblance include parent and offspring; parents and offspring; full sibs (i.e. , full brothers and/or sisters); and paternal half sibs (i.e., half brothers and/or sisters).
What is the importance of heritability in animal selection?
Heritability measures the relative importance of hereditary and environmental influences on the development of a specific quantitative trait. More specifically, it measures that part ...
When should you use other methods to determine the heritability of a trait?
When heritability of the trait is medium to high (above about 0.30), selection based upon the individual's own level of performance allows a relatively rapid rate of improvement. When the trait has a low heritability, you should use other methods to identify genetically superior individuals. The "other" methods involve various schemes for including the level of performance of related individuals such as siblings or progeny.
What is genome prediction?
Whole genome prediction (WGP) modeling and genome-wide association (GWA) analyses are big data issues in agricultural quantitative genetics. Both areas require meaningful input from the statistical scholarly community in order to further improve the accuracy of prediction of genetic merit and inference on putative causal variants as well as improving the computational efficiency of existing methods and algorithms. These concerns have become increasingly critical as new sequencing technologies will only exacerbate current model dimensionality problems. We focus primarily on mixed model and hierarchical Bayesian analyses which have been most commonly pursued by animal and plant breeders for WGP thus far. We draw attention to our observation that many such previous analyses have not carefully inferred upon hyperparameters defined at the top levels of the Bayesian model hierarchy, but simply arbitrarily specify their values. We also reassess previous discussions on WGP model dimensionality, believing that useful data augmentation schemes utilized in various Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) schemes have led to a general misunderstanding that heavy-tailed or variable selection-based WGP models may be highly parameterized relative to more standard mixed model representations. Computational efficiency is addressed with respect to MCMC and competitive, albeit approximate, alternatives. Furthermore, GWA analyses are reassessed, encouraging a greater reliance on shrinkage-based inferences based on critically chosen priors, instead of potentially nonreproducible fixed effects P value-based inference.
How does digitization help in genealogy?
The rapid digitization of genealogical and medical records enables the assembly of extremely large pedigree records spanning millions of individuals and trillions of pairs of relatives. Such pedigrees provide the opportunity to investigate the sociological and epidemiological history of human populations in scales much larger than previously possible. Linear mixed models (LMMs) are routinely used to analyze extremely large animal and plant pedigrees for the purposes of selective breeding. However, LMMs have not been previously applied to analyze population-scale human family trees. Here, we present Sparse Cholesky factorIzation LMM (Sci-LMM), a modeling framework for studying population-scale family trees that combines techniques from the animal and plant breeding literature and from human genetics literature. The proposed framework can construct a matrix of relationships between trillions of pairs of individuals and fit the corresponding LMM in several hours. We demonstrate the capabilities of Sci-LMM via simulation studies and by estimating the heritability of longevity and of reproductive fitness (quantified via number of children) in a large pedigree spanning millions of individuals and over five centuries of human history. Sci-LMM provides a unified framework for investigating the epidemiological history of human populations via genealogical records.
Who proposed a strategy for analysing recovery data from birds ringed as nestlings?
Freeman and Morgan (1992, Biometrics 48, 217-235) recently proposed a strategy for analysing recovery data from birds ringed as nestlings. In this paper we consider a Bayesian reanalysis of their models, using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to perform inferences conditional on models and a combination of simulation and graphical diagnostics to compare models.
