Linebreeding

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"If you want similar offspring use flush siblings. I.e. flush brothers on a set of cows or flush sisters to build an identical set of cows."

This still depends on the cattle mated. Genomic testing can tell you which resultant cattle from a flush are most similar but there can be quite the variation with full sibs.
 
If you want similar offspring use flush siblings. I.e. flush brothers on a set of cows or flush sisters to build an identical set of cows. Then out cross them.
Hybrid vigor is the cheapest way to add pounds to a calf crop. And most people sell pounds either feeders or fats. Pounds=Dollars.
But max highbred vigor is a 1-2 generation then quickly diminishes benefits. So then what.
I guess it depends on what your goal is Do you want to rely on others to produce your cows to breed to a outcross bull or do you want to breed your own to find those that thrive under the conditions you raise then in.
Depending on your goals depends on if line breeding is good or not for you.
 
If you want similar offspring use flush siblings. I.e. flush brothers on a set of cows or flush sisters to build an identical set of cows. Then out cross them.
And what is the result of such matings to the degree of relatedness of your herd and the degree of relatedness of each cow to each other individual cow in your herd.
What you describe is what some would argue is the exact definition of line breeding.
 
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"So let's look at it this way and let's say we do have some nearly perfect cattle to begin with. The quickest and obvious first option available is to put the bull with his own daughters, right? What would the advantages, disadvantages and possible outcome of this particular linebreeding technique be?"

If you do some historic study of linebreeding and try some you will find that about 15% or less of livestock (generally individuals or small populations) can stand that genetic pressure and do what folks want them to do. So you then have a greatly reduced genepool to start. You face a more rapid rise in the future of the %IBC.

Generally, linebreeding does not automatically eliminate genetic variations. Study the isolated populations of red deer and soay sheep. Anything but. You will continue to force your selective power on a closed population or else you will not see what you think you want to see. This will also speed the increase of the average %IBC.

If you want to know if it is going to work ASAP: son to mother or sire to daughter. The most powerful one to me: son to mother. An opinion. But you are still dealing with mitochondrial DNA transfer which is only transferred from the female which is a big plus.


Most folks do not like linebred animals. They will be deemed suspect by some. It is a modern thought as you know the way lines and breeds were historically developed. To linebreed is working against the modern marvels of buying semen, sale catalog purchases and being one of the good ol' boys. The base network of livestock production: other folks want your money and loyalty. As a linebreeder you are an outsider. There's more human issues in animal breeding than there is animal issues.

The semen catalogs and sale catalogs will highlight a bull occasionally as linebred or outcross but if you look at the actual pedigree you will see that they are not honest.

If you linebreed registered livestock you will quickly have EPDs which are irrelevant to the comparative mainstream cattle. The EPDs will grow to be quite inaccurate.
Every registered herd of all species is the result of line breeding. Each breed has a base inbred coefficient or I think the newer term some use is degree of relatedness regardless of wether you linebred or outcross within the breed.
The modern marvel of AI has actually accelerated the effects of line breeding in increasing the entire registered breeds base degree of relatedness far faster than any form of traditional breeding could accomplish.
Many say don't linebred I don't like it but don't think twice about breeding a significant portion of their herd to the latest flavor of month bull that may end up being the sire to thousands of offspring in a single year.
How many offspring can a bull produce in his lifetime as a result of demand sales? How many could he produce doing only natural cover.
How many calves can a cow produce via embryo transplant compared to natural ways.
If this isn't line breeding what is it?
Here is a interesting article on angus cattle
 
But max highbred vigor is a 1-2 generation then quickly diminishes benefits. So then what.
Anything past an F1 is a terminal cross.
I guess it depends on what your goal is Do you want to rely on others to produce your cows to breed to a outcross bull or do you want to breed your own to find those that thrive under the conditions you raise then in.
The donor cows are in the barn. They are purchased from reputable producers from similar or harsher environments. Their daughters raised in our environment will thrive as cows.

What you describe is what some would argue is the exact definition of line breeding.
Not if you pay attention. Takes some good record keeping. The cows may be closely related, but as long as the bulls used are not related it is not line breeding.
 

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