Prof. Mana Raj Kolakshyapati, Ph.D.

Course Title: Principles and Practices of Animal Breeding (2+1)

Lecture Notes
Lecture: day One

Introduction/Importance of Animal Breeding:

What is animal breeding?

Animal breeding is a segment of animal science that addresses the evaluation of the genetic value of
domestic livestock. It involves the selective breeding of domestic animals with the intention to improve
desirable qualities in the next generation. Thus, it is about selective breeding, only use males and
females for breeding that have passed a certain quality criterion.

Animal breeding is aiming at the improvement of animals by changing their genetic abilities for
important traits. These traits are determined by the requirements and wishes from the society which
might change over time. Animal breeding is highly influenced by research and developments in
population, quantitative and molecular genetics. Sometimes, unexpected negative effects of animal
breeding are observed that require adequate corrections.

While making an improvement in the livestock species, we need to predefine the goal in mind to
improve genetically the population in a desirable directions. So people make a plan with the intention to
select the best animal according to a predefined list of traits to be improved and use those selected
animals for breeding the next generation so that the offspring on average will be better than the
parents. In other words; selective breeding causes a shift in population average from one generation to
the next.

Before formulating any breeding improvement program, animal breeder needs to define what he want
to improve in the existing population, collect information on the performance of the animals and their
genetic relationships, determine which animals have the best genetic potential, determine what
proportion you should use for breeding in order to achieve a certain genetic gain in the next generation,
select the animals and mate them, and after producing the offspring evaluate whether what you set out
to achieve with your breeding decisions actually happened. Each generation you breed you go through
this circle of steps. So each generation you again have the opportunity to adjust these steps to some
extent. You should not change the breeding goal every generation, because a single generation will not
give you much genetic improvement. Breeding is more about the cumulative success of multiple
generations. You can adjust the goal in response to a change in the market. You can also adjust your
breeding program in response to an unwanted genetic change in your population. You should do this as
soon as you find out as you don't want the cumulative effect of an undesired response to selection.
There are 5 very important aspects that should be considered in animal breeding:

1. Most importantly, obviously for selective breeding to be successful it is essential that the trait
(e.g. running speed or milk production or coat colour) under selection is heritable.
2. That animals have different genetic backgrounds so that selection is possible.
3. The direction of selection is defined by humans and they decide which animals are allowed to
mate and produce members of the next generation.
4. Success of animal breeding can be judged by looking at a shift in population average phenotype
from one generation to the next. So animal breeding works at population level, not
automatically at individual level.
5. Success of animal breeding can be measured as the cumulative result of multiple generations of
selection. Breeding decisions are made with the future in mind.

Heritable traits

Being able to predict the success of animal breeding relies on one very important factor that we still
need to discuss: why does performance in offspring resemble that of the parents? Selective breeding
will only be successful in case the trait under selection is heritable.

Because only a fraction of the animals is selected for breeding, so is allowed to produce offspring, and
because the trait is heritable, the performance in the offspring will resemble that of the parents.
Therefore only the best parents are used for breeding and the average of the next generation will be
better than that of the current.

A trait is heritable if the performance for that trait, at least in part, depends on the genetic make-up
(DNA) of an animal. Differences in performance between animals can (partly) be explained by genetic
differences between animals.

Animal breeding relates to intentional selection by humans based on animal performance in a certain
environment for predefined and heritable traits. In most practical animal breeding schemes selection
will be on more than one trait simultaneously. The animals that are superior in this combination of traits
will be selected as breeding animals. In general this combination of traits will consist of traits related to
performance (e.g. milk production, number of eggs, growth, sport performance), health, and
reproduction.
A conceptual breeding program is presented in a circular activity. Each generation, the program starts
with formulating the breeding goal and ends with a critical review of the results obtained in the next
generation. The evaluation might lead to a reconsideration of the breeding goal for the next round of
selection.