Breeding

Breeding is a very important measure in the creation and maintenance of healthy, and productive herds. Breeding consists of several aspects or steps that all play an important role:

1. Use breeding to help produce animals that are well-adapted and will thrive in their local environment.

This involves taking the environment in which the animals will live into account. For example, the availability and types of feed, as well as the available shelter and water will determine what type and how many animals can produce well with the resources available.
While it may be tempting to bring in large breeds that produce more, if they cannot be well fed on the available feedstuff, they will not be able to produce to their potential.
Therefore, when looking for good breeding stock, it can be helpful to visit other herds in the region to see which animals are thriving in similar conditions and choose from these animals when looking to expand a herd.
Cultural aspects of breed selection are also important and should be considered. Certain breeds have great significance for a region and their preservation is important for the people there.
If a breed is used that is not common in the region, it should be noted that there are still plenty of opportunities to buy animals in the future in order to bring in fresh genetics (prevention of strong inbreeding).

2. Know the characteristics of healthy animals. The following are some general guidelines to identify good stock.

Healthy breeding stock should not be too skinny or too fat. Very skinny animals do not have any reserves and will have trouble producing milk or healthy offspring. Very fat animals are also more prone to certain diseases and can also have trouble producing healthy offspring.
Animals should not be overly tall in areas with limited feed, because tall animals need more feed than smaller ones.
Animals should have good proportions. The stomach should be deep and their chest should be broad so that they will have a lot of room for digestion as well as good capacities for the lungs and heart. The limbs should also be well formed.
Animals should have a good temperament (particularly important for dairy animals, but any unruly animal can be hard to handle).
Other information should be provided by the seller, such as age, reproductive history, and general production information. This information can be used to augment what can be observed and to help choose animals that will complement the existing herd.
There are big differences between breeds and regions in terms of external characteristics that make an animal a good and valuable (breeding) animal. In some regions, large horns are important and increase the value of an animal, while in other regions this characteristic plays no role at all.

3. Make informed decisions when deciding on breeding stock

First, think about the breeding goals for the farm. Each farmer can consider which animals work best in his or her herd. Animals that fall outside those standards (e.g. too tall, difficult calving, consistently low body score), may be animals that should be sold rather than bred.
If animals are to be bought from an outside herd, take a look not only at the animal itself, but also its parents and offspring (if possible). This will give more information on its genetic potential. For breeding females, it may be wise to choose animals that have already successfully had a calf, and for bulls those that have produced strong and healthy offspring. Additionally, as mentioned above, try to choose an outside herd with similar conditions and feed availability to ensure that the animals will perform similarly in their new herd.

4. Consider different breeding methods and number of bulls needed if natural breeding is done

Natural mating (e.g. live cover with a bull) is the most natural way of reproduction and therefore fits well with organic agriculture. It is the most relevant technique in African countries. However, artificial insemination is also allowed.
No matter which method of breeding is chosen, consider that the genetics of the bull will match the breeding goals of the farm.
If natural breeding is chosen, at least two bulls for a herd size of about 30 animals is ideal. When the offspring become fertile, the bull should be removed from the herd so that he does not mate with his own offspring.

5. What about inbreeding?

If a bull is kept from an own herd, he will be related to some of the female animals, and if he mates with them, the offspring will be inbred.
Inbreeding can be both positive and negative. On the negative side, it can lead to health issues and possibly health defects in calves. However, on the positive side, it can consolidate good traits in the herd. It depends on the inbreeding level and on the individuals that are inbred. Animals with very good traits whose ancestors also had very good traits will strengthen those traits with inbreeding: e.g. their “good genes” will be doubled. However, this can also work in the reverse, resulting in the doubling of “bad” genes (e.g. making animals more prone to illness or weakness).
General rules include not mate animals with direct relatives (e.g. mother or sisters). Only inbreed with more distant relatives (e.g. aunts or cousins), and only with animals who have shown consistently good trats for 3 generations. If an animal's 3 generation history is unclear, do not let related animals mate.
Options to reduce inbreeding include replacing bulls every two years, and/or using artificial insemination for the female animals that are closely related to the bull.

6. What about crossbreeding?

Crossbreeding is the opposite of inbreeding. With crossbreeding, animals of different breeds that are not related to each other at all are mated.
The first generation of crossbred animals usually consists of very good, healthy and productive animals (this is called the “heterosis effect” which is typical for the first-generation hybrids of both plants and animals).
However, in the second generation (if the hybrids are mated with one another), the characteristics of the animals are inconsistent. Some animals show desirable traits, but many will not.
Therefore, a stringent selection is necessary to continue breeding with these animals. It is an interesting possibility to breed new types of animals, but the process takes time and requires careful attention and an understanding of genetics to avoid common problems.