Breeding goes hand in hand with evaluating your herd. I think there is too much voodoo written about line breeding and inbreeding. Stop thinking of breeding in human terms! Line breeding and inbreeding is very important and is done in most herds that are successfully shown, those with excellent udders, very good milk production and just general good conformation.
True that this magnifies both the bad and the good in your herd but if you have a good foundation then it is my opinion that line breeding is the only way you will continue to produce those fine animals. This is done by many breeders of all other breeds. Since the Kinder is specifically from two major breeds it is of the up most importance to do everything possible to pass these good genes on down the generation lines of the Kinder goat.
I almost shudder any more when I hear a Kinder breeder say, “Oh, I have just got to get new blood in my herd, I need something entirely unrelated to my other goats”. I have seen Kinder herds go from a top notch herd, to much lesser than in a hurry, when just adding one new herd sire.
If you have a herd that has general good conformation, that are milking well anything from 4 pounds up per day and if those animals are truly dual purpose showing a good meat carcass, then why do you want to change that? If you have sold animals to other breeders then go buy something from their lines that also has your lines in it. In this way you will be adding back some of your own genetics. If you completely cross out of your line it is hard telling what you might get. Genetics is a wild and wonderful world and we as Kinder breeders by breeding 50/50 are trying to fool mother nature into producing a goat that will continue to produces animals that conforms to our breed standards
Rabbit breeders have also used inbreeding and line breeding. What we have found after 50 years or more of this course is that many poor traits, and issues that WERE VERY RARE are no longer occasionally occurring but are happening in very high proportions. Every good intent was made by those inbreeding and line breeding, and yet drastic problems are happening now due to the practices that have been used. Educating everyone about the traits needed for a particular breed is needed, in addition to educating everyone on how to accomplish that. Start by teaching what make a trait a good trait or bad trait. Regardless of line breeding, inbreeding, or cross breeding, you have to learn what the breed standards are and use that as a goal. You need top quality goats to achieve top quality goats.
ReplyDeleteEvaluations would work to help breeders know the good and bad traits of each animal. This would be a tool to be used for a good breeding program. Tom Considine is going to be doing evaluations for Kinder goats. I hope breeders will avail themselves of this service.
DeleteInbreeding and Linebreeding should not be blamed for the multiplication of all bad traits. The same will happen with always outcrossing if you do not cull and breed animals with the same bad traits.
Many breeders of different breeds have linebred for many years. I am not telling you that you must breed this way, I am just saying if you want consistency in your Kinder herd that line breeding is the way. I have linebred for almost 22 years and I like what I have so I will continue. I have a dual purpose Kinder that milks well, produces a good meat carcass, evaluates very good to excellent and wins on the show ring.
DeleteYou are correct in saying that we need to concentrate of the quality of the animals that we use. As for inbreeding, Dale Vogt, Helen A. Swartz and John Massey of the Dept of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri say this.......... "In general, inbreeding results in an overall lowering in performance. It is most obviously reflected in poorer reproductive efficiency, including higher mortality rates, lower growth rates and a higher frequency of hereditary defects."
ReplyDeleteAre you a Kinder breeder? Do you own any of my lines? If so then you have line bred animals. I have line bred for years and I have not experience all the bad traits that you speak of.
ReplyDeleteActually, yes, I am a Kinder breeder and no I do not have any of your lines.
ReplyDeleteSpecific breeds of rabbits, dogs, etc. have been around for hundreds of years, whereas Kinder goats have only been around for 27 years. Various breeds of animals are finding problems specifically linked to line breeding after using those practices for many years. Because you have no problems now, does not mean that there will not be any problems later.
Can line breeding and inbreeding be useful tool? Yes! But consider the consequences of long term use of such practices. There can be problems that will be impossible to correct. Some lines have to be completely destroyed because of such practices.
When a new breed of animal is developed, line breeding and inbreeding can be and is a necessary tool to assuring the traits of the breed becomes established. Once a breed is established continuing those practices, based solely on the fact that it has always been done, can (and has with other breeds of animals) cause far more harm than good. The problem many breeders of rabbits, dogs, etc. are finding, is that it takes years for the genetic problems to become evident. I am not saying that line breeding should not be done, what I am saying is history shows that it can be so very detrimental when used as a 'one size fits all', "you must do this", approach.
ReplyDeleteI am very glad to see interest in this subject. Thank you for participating but I must go to take care of other business.
DeleteThank you again,
Sue
I agree as I have proof this works well. Thank you for your thoughts!
ReplyDelete~ Ramona
Great post & really useful. Thanks
ReplyDeleteJual Kelinci
Kelinci