Inbreeding: mating related animals
Inbreeding means mating animals that share one or more ancestors. Their offspring are more likely to inherit matching copies of a gene from a common ancestor, measured by the inbreeding coefficient. Inbreeding can increase the risk of inherited defects and reduce fertility and vigour.
How does inbreeding build up in a small herd?
Using the same sire across several generations in a small herd means more animals share ancestors. For example, if a bull mates with his own daughters, their calves inherit genes from him through both parents, causing the inbreeding coefficient to rise sharply.
How can you limit inbreeding?
Keep track of every animal's sire and dam, choose unrelated sires where possible, and introduce an unrelated breeding bull or ram from outside your herd or flock every few generations.
Questions from the farm
What is an inbreeding coefficient?
An inbreeding coefficient is the estimated percentage of an animal's genes with matching copies inherited from a common ancestor. It is usually calculated from the animal's pedigree, using known family relationships.
Does inbreeding always cause problems?
The effects of inbreeding vary by breed and trait. Planning matings to keep coefficients low helps protect fertility and growth, while mating close relatives can bring hidden recessive defects to light.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
Use animal notes in HerdMobile to keep track of each sire and dam. Check those family links before breeding so you can spot close relatives and plan suitable matings.
