UNIT 8- MATING SYSTEM.pdf

PREPARED BY DR. SUSHIL NEUPANE (B.V.SC. AND A.H., IAAS, TU)
Unit 8: Mating Systems
8.1 Basic principles of mating systems in different livestock species
8.2 Different types of mating systems followed in genetic improvement programs
Mating systems in livestock species refer to the ways in which breeding is managed to
achieve specific goals. The choice of mating system depends on various factors, including
the species, breed, production objectives, and available resources. Here are the basic
principles of mating systems in different livestock species:
1. Monogamous Mating System: Monogamy refers to the practice of mating one male
with one female. This system is commonly used in species such as horses and dogs,
where individual pairs are formed and maintained for breeding purposes. It allows for
better control over genetic combinations and ensures parentage certainty.
2. Natural Mating System: Natural mating involves allowing animals to mate freely
without any interference. This system is commonly used in extensive production
systems, such as pasture-based cattle farming. It relies on the ability of animals to find
and select their mates, leading to natural genetic diversity.
3. Artificial Insemination (AI): Artificial insemination involves the collection of
semen from a selected male and the subsequent artificial deposition into the
reproductive tract of a female. This technique is widely used in various livestock
species, including cattle, pigs, and poultry. AI allows for the rapid dissemination of
desirable genetic traits and enables breeders to use superior sires that may not be
physically present on the farm.
4. Natural Service with Multiple Sires: In some livestock species, such as sheep and
goats, natural service with multiple sires is practiced. This involves allowing a group of

males to mate with a group of females. The purpose is to increase genetic diversity and
improve the chances of successful mating and conception.
5. Controlled Mating: Controlled mating involves the deliberate selection and pairing
of specific males and females based on predetermined criteria. This system is often used
in commercial pig and poultry production, where specific lines or breeds are crossed to
achieve desired traits, such as growth rate, feed efficiency, or disease resistance.
6. Line Breeding: Line breeding is a form of selective mating within a specific breed
or line to concentrate desirable traits. It involves breeding animals that are closely
related but not immediate relatives, such as father-daughter or brother-sister matings.
Line breeding aims to maintain a high degree of genetic similarity while improving
specific traits.
7. Crossbreeding: Crossbreeding involves mating animals of different breeds or lines.
The goal is to capitalize on heterosis (hybrid vigor), which is the increased performance
or fitness of the offspring compared to the average of the parental breeds. Crossbreeding
is commonly used to improve traits such as growth rate, fertility, and adaptability.
Different types of mating systems followed in genetic improvement programs
Mating
There are two types of mating of animals for production of the progenies. These are
Natural propagation/mating: Mating of animals by natural means.
Artificial insemination (AI): Mating is done through artificial means by collecting semen
from male and the inseminating the females. This method help in use of outstanding males
for mating of a large number of females thereby production of large number of highly
productive and performing progenies.
Importance of Animal Breeding:
 It helps to increase production in their offspring.

 It helps to increase reproductive performance of animal
 It helps to increase productive performance of animal
 It helps to preserve those animal species that are in the stage of extinction
 It helps to generate new gene in the population of animal
 It aids to preserve animal biodiversity
 It helps to increase farmers as well as national income
Methods/System of Animal Breeding
Basically, there are two methods of breeding which are as follows:
 Inbreeding: Breeding of the related animals as sire (male) and dam (female) are
known as inbreeding.
 Out breeding: Out breeding of unrelated animals as male and female is known as out
breeding.
1. Inbreeding:
Inbreeding means the mating of individuals that are related to each other by ancestry (have
a common ancestor).There are again two types of inbreeding which are:
a. Close breeding
b. Line breeding
a. Close breeding:
This is most intensive breeding where animals are very closely related and can be traced
back to more than one common ancestor. Examples: Sire to daughter, Son to dam, Brother
to sister.
Advantage of Close breeding:
I. Recessive gene can be identified
II. Progeny will be uniform
III. Disease pattern can be identified
Disadvantage of Close breeding:
I. Reproductive performance of progeny will be reduced

II. Animal become more susceptible to disease
b. Line breeding:
Mating animals that are more distantly related which can be traced back to one common
ancestor.
Examples: Half-brother to half-sister.
Advantage of Line breeding:
i. This breeding increases genetic purity amongst the animals of progeny generations.
ii. Animal are less susceptible to disease than close breeding.
Disadvantage of Line breeding:
i. Reproductive performance of progeny will be reduced
Advantage of Inbreeding:
a. It increase the homozygosity and decrease the heterozygosity
b. It increase the uniformity of desirable characters.
c. It helps to maintain purity
d. It helps to develop pure breed lines
e. It deternmines the actual genetic worth of individual animals
f. Disease pattern can be identified
g. Recessive character can be identified
Disadvantage of Inbreeding:
a. Appearance of lethal or detrimental character (gene)
b. This cause reproductive problems like birth of weak offspring, abortion, still birth
c. Reproductive performance of animal born from such breeding will be reduced
d. Animal become more susceptible to diseases
2. Outbreeding

There are different types of outbreeding:
1. Out crossing:
 In this breeding two pure breed are crossed for production of offspring
 The relation between male and female used for breeding should not relate within 4-
6 generation.
 Male and female are of same breed. Eg: Khari breed male from east breed with Khari
female of west.
2. Cross breeding:
Breeding between the different breeds of same species. Example, Khari x Boer
Cross progeny(New genetic combination)
Cross breeding is further classified into following types:
a. Criss Crossing:
In this breed two different are breeds are crossed alternatively. Like, the first generation
female (F1) is crossed with any one male breed and second generation(F2) crossed with
another male breed alternatively. This leads to higher genetic improvement.
Khari(F) 1 x Boer 1(M) Progeny Female (F1)x Boer male 2 Progeny female (F2) x Khari
male 2
b. Triple Crossing:
Three different breeds are crossed in a rotational manner. Cross breeds have different
proportion for all three breeds
Like,
Khari(F) x Boer(M)
Progeny female (F1) x Jamunapari (M) Progeny female (F2) x Khari (M) Progeny female
(F3) x Boer (M)
c. Back Crossing:
In this type of breeding the progeny born from two different breed are again crossed with
one of their parent. It maintain the genetic character of parent in their offspring. Like,

Khari(F) x Boer (M) Progency Female(F1)x Boer parent(M)
Advantage of Cross Breeding
 Transfer of important character from improved breed to local breed.
 New breed can be produced.
 Animal having low production capacity which can live well in the local environment
can increased their productivity.
 Breed adaption to local environment can be made
3. Grading up:
Grading up is the breeding of animals of two different breeds where the animals of an
indigenous breed is mated by an improved pure breed for several generations towards
attaining the superior traits of the improved breed.
•Grading up is continuous use of purebred sires of the same breed in a grade herd. By fifth
generation, the graded animals may reach almost purebred levels.
Khari (F) x Boer (M) Progeny female F1 x Boer(M) Progeny female F2 x Boer(M)
………………….. Up to 5 generation
4. Species Hybridization:
In this breeding two different species are crossed to produce offspring which is known as
hybrid.However, this method is not considered in sheep and goat species breeding. Sheep
belong to the genus Ovis and have 54 chromosomes, while goats belong to the genus Capra
and have 60 chromosomes. The offspring of a sheep-goat pairing is generally stillborn.
This type of breeding is done between horse and donkey which offspring result in mule is
generally sterile or infertile.
Advantage:
Offspring born resembles characteristics of both parents and will be stronger than both of
the parents.
Disadvantage:
Offspring are often sterile, preventing gene flow between the species.

Advantage of Outbreeding:
1. It increases heterozygosis and decrease homozygosis,
2. Helps to combine desirable traits of two or more breeds.
3. Increases effectiveness of selection
4. Hybrid vigor is seen in offspring
5. Help in production of new breeds.
6. Helps in improvement of production via grading up
Disadvantage of Outbreeding:
1. Lack of uniformity in character.
2. Require two or more breed at a time.

UNIT 8- MATING SYSTEM.pdf

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UNIT 8- MATING SYSTEM.pdf