| Module Identifier |
RS23910 |
| Module Title |
ANIMAL BREEDING |
| Academic Year |
2001/2002 |
| Co-ordinator |
Dr Basil Wolf |
| Semester |
Semester 2 |
| Course delivery |
Lecture | 22 Hours |
| |
Practical | 18 Hours 6x3 hours |
| Assessment |
Assignment | 1500 Words | 40% |
| |
Assignment | 2 Hours Supplementary Examinations | |
| |
Exam | 2 Hours | 60% |
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to :
a. Outline the principles of Mendelian genetics using examples from domestic livestock and discuss their application to breeding
for coat colour, the control of lethal or deleterious conditions with Mendelian inheritance and explain the basis of parentage
testing.
b. Outline basic concepts in quantitative genetics.
c. Describe national breeding schemes for domestic livestock and evaluate aspects of their design which influence the rate of
genetic improvement for metric traits.
Brief description
A course of 22 lectures and 6 practicals/visits which considers the genetic improvement of domestic livestock. Content includes Mendelian inheritance of coat colour, major genes in farm livestock, deleterious genetic conditions and their control, parentage testing, change in gene frequency in animal populations under selection; principles of quantitative genetics including heritability, genetic correlations, prediction of direct and correlated responses to selection, intensity of selection and factors influencing rate of genetic gain; inbreeding and heterosis; definition of selection objectives and criteria; evaluation of breeding value from pedigree, own performance, progeny and other relatives; selection for single and composite objectives; improvement schemes for horses, dairy and beef cattle, sheep and pigs; applications of reproductive technologies and marker assisted selection.
Reading Lists
Books
Willis M B. (1998)
Dalton's introduction to practical animal breeding. Blackwell Science
Bowling A T. (1996)
Horse genetics. CABI
Simm G. (1988)
Genetic improvement of cattle and sheep. Farming Press