In Breeding

[Anonymous]

Could anyone let me know about in breeding? If we are desiring to keep heifers for breeding purposes, can they breed with their "father"? If so, can the third, fourth, generation etc stay with the same bull. I have received conflicting information. I have one cow who just recently lost her second calf. It was about 3 months old, nursed regularly, appeared healthy, and I found her dead. I have 10-15 other small animals and this is the only one that would be third generation. Bull is sire of cow.

Thanks.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

It can be and is done frequently. However, you have to be totally sure that the bull has exactly the traits that you want. The dairy industry generally doesn't like to have any more with more then 12.5% being traced to any particular animal, I kind of agree with that. Just my opinion.

dunmovin farms

> Could anyone let me know about in
> breeding? If we are desiring to
> keep heifers for breeding
> purposes, can they breed with
> their "father"? If so,
> can the third, fourth, generation
> etc stay with the same bull. I
> have received conflicting
> information. I have one cow who
> just recently lost her second
> calf. It was about 3 months old,
> nursed regularly, appeared
> healthy, and I found her dead. I
> have 10-15 other small animals and
> this is the only one that would be
> third generation. Bull is sire of
> cow.

> Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

No matter what species you're talking about, there are rules that hold true about inbreeding -- the main one being that inbreeding does not *cause* any genetic problems, what it does is allow any problems that are carried recessively in the parents to be expressed in the inbred offspring. Inbreeding can be a very valuable tool in establishing bloodlines or new breeds in that it also allows GOOD genetic traits to be expressed and eventually fixed in the inbred offspring. Inbred sires that are homozygous for desirable traits, and have had the undesirable traits bred out, will almost always throw quality offspring, even with average dams.

Personally I raise rabbits, and practice inbreeding and linebreeding extensively. Through inbreeding I've taken these fuzzbutts from a mediocre pair and a good doe, to herd of approximately 100 animals who consistently win on the show table and produce like a commercial herd instead of a show herd. Along the way, inbreeding has produced some of the very best animals -- and it has also produced some of the very worst. Culling becomes extremely important when inbreeding -- if offspring is kept, they *MUST* be of equal of better quality to the *BEST* parent, otherwise you won't see improvement over several generations. Inbreeding definitely has it's place in a well thought out breeding program, but you have to be willing to cull hard and eliminate animals when it's apparent that there is genetic weakness.

Ann B

> Could anyone let me know about in
> breeding? If we are desiring to
> keep heifers for breeding
> purposes, can they breed with
> their "father"? If so,
> can the third, fourth, generation
> etc stay with the same bull. I
> have received conflicting
> information. I have one cow who
> just recently lost her second
> calf. It was about 3 months old,
> nursed regularly, appeared
> healthy, and I found her dead. I
> have 10-15 other small animals and
> this is the only one that would be
> third generation. Bull is sire of
> cow.

> Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

When we had a commercial rabbitry we did the same thing, with rabbits. Multiple offsping per litter, multiple litters per doe each year. With cattle, single calf ones a year it's a much greater risk.

dunmovin famrs

> No matter what species you're
> talking about, there are rules
> that hold true about inbreeding --
> the main one being that inbreeding
> does not *cause* any genetic
> problems, what it does is allow
> any problems that are carried
> recessively in the parents to be
> expressed in the inbred offspring.
> Inbreeding can be a very valuable
> tool in establishing bloodlines or
> new breeds in that it also allows
> GOOD genetic traits to be
> expressed and eventually fixed in
> the inbred offspring. Inbred sires
> that are homozygous for desirable
> traits, and have had the
> undesirable traits bred out, will
> almost always throw quality
> offspring, even with average dams.

> Personally I raise rabbits, and
> practice inbreeding and
> linebreeding extensively. Through
> inbreeding I've taken these
> fuzzbutts from a mediocre pair and
> a good doe, to herd of
> approximately 100 animals who
> consistently win on the show table
> and produce like a commercial herd
> instead of a show herd. Along the
> way, inbreeding has produced some
> of the very best animals -- and it
> has also produced some of the very
> worst. Culling becomes extremely
> important when inbreeding -- if
> offspring is kept, they *MUST* be
> of equal of better quality to the
> *BEST* parent, otherwise you won't
> see improvement over several
> generations. Inbreeding definitely
> has it's place in a well thought
> out breeding program, but you have
> to be willing to cull hard and
> eliminate animals when it's
> apparent that there is genetic
> weakness.

> Ann B

 

[Anonymous]

You make some good points about inbreeding, especially the weaknesses coming to the fore. The difference between rabbits and cows is: a cow can only cycle three days a month... a rabbit can only NOT be bred three days a month. My experience with rabbits was similar to yours, however, I found that the bigger the animal, the less desirable inbreeding is...and the more dangerous.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

At least one may eat the mistakes.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

***** If they live long enough. Or you can stand watching the oddities and handicaps that come with the practice while you wait for it to become beef -- maybe.

> At least one may eat the mistakes.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

The attached site has a number of excellent articles, at leat one deals heavily with inbreeding

<A HREF="http://ansci.colostate.edu/ran/beef/#an2" TARGET="_blank">http://ansci.colostate.edu/ran/beef/#an2</A>

dunmovin farms

> Could anyone let me know about in
> breeding? If we are desiring to
> keep heifers for breeding
> purposes, can they breed with
> their "father"? If so,
> can the third, fourth, generation
> etc stay with the same bull. I
> have received conflicting
> information. I have one cow who
> just recently lost her second
> calf. It was about 3 months old,
> nursed regularly, appeared
> healthy, and I found her dead. I
> have 10-15 other small animals and
> this is the only one that would be
> third generation. Bull is sire of
> cow.

> Thanks.