Introduction to Animal Breeding | Basic Terms in Animal Breeding

In this lecture, I have tried to provide a brief introduction to animal breeding. Animal Breeding deals with the selective crossing of domestic animals to produce offspring with desirable qualities/characteristics. I have also provided the definitions of basic terms used in animal breeding. These terms are: Economically Important Traits Any trait having a monitory value Trait A trait is "a distinguishing phenotypic characteristic, typically belonging to an individual“ Phenotype A phenotype is what you observe or measure on the animal for a certain trait Selection Preferential use of animals for breeding The process that determines which individuals become parents to the next generation Natural Selection The selection that occurs in nature independent of deliberate human control Artificial Selection The selection that is under human control Gamete Sex cells Culling Removal of undesired animals from the herd Artificial Insemination A reproductive technology in which semen is collected from males, then used in fresh or frozen form to breed females Breeding Value Actual genetic potential of an animal for a specific trait Estimated Breeding Value Estimated genetic potential of an animal for a certain trait Phenotypic selection Selection based solely on an individual's own phenotype Heritability The proportion of the total phenotypic variation in a population that is due to genetic variation among individuals Genetic correlation The measure of strength of relationship b/w breeding values of two traits Phenotypic Correlation The measure of strength of relationship b/w performance of two traits Repeatability A measure of the strength of the relationship between repeated records for a trait in a population Fertility The ability of a female to conceive The ability of a male to impregnate Sire A general term used for male parent Dam A general term used for female parent Pedigree Data Information on the genotypes or performance of an animal’s ancestors Progeny data Information on the genotypes or performance of animal’s offspring Collateral relatives Relatives that are neither direct ancestors nor direct descendants of an individual, e.g., siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews Sire Summary A list of all the useful information on a sire Mating The process that determines which selected males are bred to which selected females Mating system A set of rules for mating Cross Breeding The mating of animals from two different breeds (Friesian and Jersey Crossbred An individual having parents from two different breeds Hybrid vigor or heterosis An increase in the performance of crossbred/hybrids over pure breds due to heterozygosity Hybrid An individual born from a cross between two species, breeds, or lines Inbreeding Mating of closely related individuals Inbreeding depression A decrease in the performance of individuals due to homozygosity Outbreeding Breeding of non-related individuals within a breed 0:00 Introduction 0:16 Animal Breeding 2:42 Trait and Phenotype 5:43 Preferential use of animals for breeding 9:18 Phenotypic selection • Selection based solely on an individual's own phenotype 12:41 Fertility •The ability of a female to conceive •The ability of a male to impregnate 14:35 Mating •The process that determines which selected males are bred to which selected 16:39 Inbreeding • Mating of closely related individuals Animal Breeding and Genetics Lectures    • Animal Breeding and Genetics Lectures