Name: Abante Jathniel E.
Year and Section: BASABE III
ASSIGNMENT
Direction: Write an essay centered on the following questions:
1. Discuss the significance of selection and the breeding programs for beef, dairy, pig,
sheep, and goat as well as poultry;
-Livestock breeding is crucial for optimizing production, ensuring animal health, and
meeting growing demands. Each species, from beef cattle to poultry, has unique
breeding programs tailored to specific needs.
Beef cattle breeding emphasizes rapid growth, high-quality meat, and efficient
reproduction. Dairy cattle breeding prioritizes milk production, composition, and animal
well-being. Pig breeding focuses on rapid growth, feed efficiency, and animal welfare.
Sheep breeding aims for wool quality, fleece weight, and carcass merit. Goat breeding
emphasizes growth rate, meat quality, and adaptability. Poultry breeding prioritizes egg
production, growth rate, and disease resistance.
The use of tools like Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs), Estimated Breeding Values
(EBVs), and genomic selection helps breeders make informed decisions and accelerate
genetic progress. These programs ensure a sustainable future for the livestock industry.
2. What are the major points to consider in choosing breeding system? Discuss the
different system of breeding including its advantage and disadvantages?
-Choosing the right breeding system for your livestock is crucial for success. Consider
your goals (e.g., milk production, growth rate), available genetic resources,
environmental factors, economic considerations, and animal welfare.
Common systems include straight breeding, inbreeding, line breeding, outbreeding,
crossbreeding, rotational crossbreeding, and composite breeding. Each system has
advantages and disadvantages, and the best choice depends on your specific needs.
The ideal breeding system balances productivity, animal welfare, and economic
sustainability. Carefully evaluate your options to create a thriving livestock operation.
3. What is meant by genetic depression? How does this affect the breeding system?
-Inbreeding, mating closely related animals, can lead to genetic depression, reducing
livestock health and productivity. This happens because it increases the chances of offspring
inheriting harmful recessive traits. To combat this, breeders use strategies like outbreeding and
crossbreeding to introduce new genetic material and ensure healthy, productive livestock.
4. Why are records important?
-Records are the lifeblood of successful livestock breeding. They provide vital
information about individual animal performance, genetic relationships, and historical
trends. This data allows breeders to make informed decisions about mating, prevent
inbreeding, and track the effectiveness of their programs. In a world demanding
transparency and traceability, records also demonstrate the quality and sustainability of
livestock products. Without thorough record-keeping, breeding success becomes a
gamble, not a science.
5. Solid color in Angus cattle is dominant (S) to white spotting (s), found in Holstein. What
would be the expected color of a calf from an Angus bull mated to a Holstein cow?
-An Angus bull, being solid black (SS), mated to a Holstein cow, which is white spotted (ss),
will produce calves with the genotype Ss. Since solid color (S) is dominant over white spotting
(s), all the calves will inherit the dominant S allele and will be solid black.
6. Several different kinds of combs in chickens are inherited. A single – combed individual is
of genotype rrpp, a rose-combed is R-pp, a pea combed rrP-, and the combination of R
and P in the genotype produces walnut comb. What are the F1 genotype and
phenotypes if the single -combed rooster is mated to rose -combed hens of genotype
RRpp? What would be he phenotypic ratio in the F2?
-When a single-combed rooster (rrpp) is mated with a rose-combed hen (RRpp), all their
offspring (F1 generation) will have rose combs because rose comb is dominant.
If these F1 offspring are then mated with each other, their offspring (F2 generation) will
have a variety of comb types: 9/16 will have walnut combs, 3/16 will have rose combs,
3/16 will have pea combs, and 1/16 will have single combs. This ratio is due to the
inheritance patterns of the genes responsible for comb type.
