Delve into the World of Animal Breeding!
- Farm animals, pets and wildlife.
- Upskill for better business or employment opportunities.
- Study when and where it suits your busy schedule.
Animal breeding can be anything from a serious hobby or part time business (e.g., breeding and selling pets), through to a very serious and highly sophisticated profession.
This course provides an excellent foundation for operation within the animal breeding industry at any level.
This is an experiential learning-based course. Throughout your studies you will have the opportunity to network with and learn from a variety of industry professionals. Establishing real-world relationships and confidence is key to career success.
Lesson Structure
There are 7 lessons in this course:
-
Introduction to Genetics
-
Plant cells
-
Animal cells
-
Cell division - mitosis (asexual reproduction); meiosis (sexual reproduction)
-
Genes - phenotype and genotype; homogenous and heterogenous
-
Terminology
-
The work of Mendel
-
Sex determination
-
Genetics
-
Gene mutations
-
Lethal genes
-
Effect of the environment
-
Hybrid vigour
-
Genetics in agriculture
-
Heritability
-
Selection
-
Animal breeding programs
-
Agriculture
-
Decide on your priorities
-
Dual purpose animals
-
Artificial selection
-
Gene groups
-
Regression
-
Domestic animals - Dogs, cats, etc.
-
Pure Breeding
-
Inbreeding - close breeding and line breeding
-
Genetic effects of inbreeding
-
Advantages and disadvantages
-
Introduction to Cross Breeding
-
The effects of cross breeding in farm animals
-
Genetic effects, phenotype effects, heterosis, and genotype effect
-
Cross breeding in sheep
-
Cross breeding in domestic animals
-
Cross Breeding
-
Practical cross breeding
-
Two breed or single cross
-
Back cross or crisscrossing
-
Cyclical crossing
-
Rotational crossing
-
Advantages of cross breeding
-
Reciprocal recurrent selection
-
Breed societies
-
Grading up
-
Livestock Improvement
-
Performance Testing
-
Sib Testing
-
Progeny testing
-
Relative breeding Values (RBV)
-
Artificial insemination
-
Synchronised heats
-
Ova transplants
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
-
Explain genetic influence on the characteristics exhibited by animals.
-
Explain the factors that interact with genes to produce nonconformity in animals.
-
Develop procedures to select animals for a breeding program.
-
Develop an animal straight breeding program.
-
Develop an animal cross breeding program.
-
Explain the commercial methods used to breed farm animals.
What You Will Do
-
Distinguish between the phenotype and the genotype, of a specified farm animal.
-
Distinguish between dominant and recessive gene pairs.
-
Explain the differences in the function of chromosomes, of a specified fowl, when compared with a specified mammalian farm animal.
-
Describe the linkage of gender with the expression of non-sex character traits, in a specified farm animal.
-
Explain the role of mutation in animal breeding, including both positive and negative aspects.
-
Explain the role of the environment in all factors which determine genetic expression in animals.
-
Explain the relevance of hybrid vigour to breeding different animals, including *chickens *pigs *sheep.
-
Explain heritability in different classes of livestock, including: * dairy cattle *beef cattle *pigs *sheep.
-
Develop a set of aims for a breeding program, for a chosen farm animal.
-
Develop a checklist of criteria for selecting animals in a breeding program for a specified type of farm animal.
-
Explain natural selection, by giving an example of its application in a farm animal breeding program.
-
Explain artificial selection in animal breeding programs, including: * it's aims *the methods used.
-
Explain genetic regression by giving an example of its possible occurrence in a farm breeding program.
-
Design a checklist of factors to consider when purchasing breeding stock for a specified farm situation.
-
Explain how an animal breeder in the learner's locality selects animals from which to breed, for a commercial breeding program.
-
Distinguish between different types of straight breeding, including: *close breeding *line breeding.
-
Explain how a specified pure breed (i.e., straight breed) is maintained.
-
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of line breeding in a breeding program for a specified type of farm animal.
-
Differentiate between different types of cross breeding, including: *terminal cross *two breed cross *back cross *three breed cross *rotational cross.
-
Explain the concept of 'grading up', as it relates to commercial animal husbandry.
-
Evaluate 'crossbreeding' in an animal breeding program investigated by the learner, to determine its relevance to the situation.
-
Determine a commercial situation, in which crossbreeding may be justified.
-
Explain the services provided by a specified Breed Society in cross breeding, on a specified farm.
-
Write a procedure for cross breeding of a specified type of animal.
-
Define breeding terminology including: *artificial insemination *synchronised heats *ova transplants.
-
Describe the breeding programs which use artificial insemination, synchronised heats and ova transplants.
-
Explain the importance of synchronised heats to breeding animals.
-
Describe two different testing methods, observed by the learner that are used for animal breeding programs.
-
Evaluate the relevance of breeding methods, that are used on a specified property, to the stated aims of the property owner.
-
Describe the husbandry procedures which may be carried out during the pregnancy of a specified farm animal.
-
Describe husbandry practices which may be carried out during the birth of a specified type of farm animal, including: *routine husbandry procedures *emergency husbandry procedures.
-
Plan the management of a breeding program to maximise male breeding performance for either: *dairy *pigs *poultry *beef *sheep *horses
-
Perform and record the birth of a specified animal.
Points for Selection of Animal Breeding Programs
Animal breeding programs are as important to the small-scale individual farmer with a single herd as the large farming company with many herds.
The objective of any breeding program is to improve the commercial production of farm stock.
In genetic terms, this is done by fixing a high proportion of the genes responsible for desirable characteristics in a herd and getting rid of as many undesirable genes as possible. Once this has been achieved, the farmer will have a herd of good performers (good phenotype) and good breeders (good genotype).
The starting point in any breeding program is the selection of the animals from which to breed. These become the foundation stock. The criteria used to select these animals will vary according to the type of animal the farmer ultimately wants to have in his herd. Some of the points for selection for different classes of farm animals are given in the table. You can see from this table that there are many points for selection for different types of farm stock. For example, the ideal dairy cow is one with a high milk yield, good milk solids, a well-shaped udder, a fast milker, good feet and legs so that she can travel to her food, and a resistance to diseases so that she will have a long and productive life in the herd.
Decide on Your Priorities
Many farmers start their animal breeding program with a herd that has few, if any, desirable characteristics. The farmer or breeder must decide which of the characteristics are the most important and select his stock to carry out his breeding program so that those characteristics are given priority.
If a farmer tries to change everything at the same time, he will not succeed and may end up with animals that are worse than his foundation stock. Once the farmer has decided on his priorities, he may have to sacrifice some less desirable characteristics. For example, he may be able to improve the milk yield of his cows but not the udder shape.
Dual-Purpose Animals
The selection points for dairy cattle have nothing in common with those of beef cattle. This makes the selection and breeding of dual-purpose animals difficult because there is a conflict of aims. A program to improve the beef qualities of a dual-purpose breed will result in losing the milking capacity of the cows. With dual purpose cattle, the strain (family line) within the breed is often more important than the breed itself – some strains are good milkers and others are better beef producers. The old triple purpose cattle that were kept for milk, beef and work did not do any of these things particularly well.
Some selection points are related to each other so if the farmer selects one selection point, he will also improve the other at the same time. Other selection points are unrelated to each other while there are some that are antagonistic. This means that if you select for one point, another point that is antagonistic will be adversely affected.
After your course...
Animal breeders may work with pets, farm animals or wildlife. They may breed purebred dogs, cats, horses or other animals, to sell or show. They may breed farm animals or animals in a zoo or wildlife park.
Some animal breeders work to operate their own business (e.g., supplying pets to the pet industry, livestock to farms, or horses to the racing industry). Others may work for zoos, wildlife parks, agricultural research stations or other public or non-profit organisations. Breeding may have a commercial purpose or a conservation role.
Some breeders may come to their job through experience rather than formal training; while others may start out with a substantial short courses, certificate or higher qualification
Why Study with ACS?
Design your own learning pathway.
Study at your own pace, from anywhere, at any time.
Receive prompt, expert support from our team of committed and friendly tutors.
Your learning is our priority. We are flexible and adaptable to meet your educational needs!
ACS Student Comments:
"Yes [the course is a valuable learning experience], I am loving it, it relates to all the things I am presently doing with our dogs and sheep and I am finding it extremely useful and have learnt a lot. Love getting my assignments back to see how I went always an exciting moment and then shared around the dinner table that night!! " -- Zoe Crouch, Australia, Animal Breeding course.
Tutor Comments:
"The course is particularly useful to students who are or wish to be involved in agricultural livestock production." -- Marius Erasmus, B. Science (Agriculture), B. Science (Wildlife), Masters in Agriculture.
ENROL or Use our FREE Course Advice Service to Connect with a Tutor