Breeds of Beef Cattle Maine Coon

Furkats W P Churchill, blueish & white bicolor poly

Having once been a beef cattle farmer, I am familiar with the techniques and practices used in the beef cattle industry. In society to improve the quality of my cattle herd I became an artificial inseminator. In this way I was able to have a large choice of sires for my herd. One of the techniques we utilized was crossbreeding in lodge to achieve heterosis for diverse trait. (Definition of Terms) Heterosis according to Dr. Roy Burris (1995) is defined as the increase in productivity in the crossbred offspring to a higher place the average of breeds that are crossed. This means that offspring of a given mated pair volition out perform their parents. When a Black Angus Balderdash is bred to a Hereford cow (red with a white face) the resulting offspring which is a black calf with a white face, is of higher quality for some traits than either of the parents. Burris (1995) defined crossbreeding every bit the mating of cattle of dissimilar breeds or breed compositions. He farther stated that when crosses are made, one breed?south strengths can compliment the other's weaknesses. These same techniques of crossbreeding tin be used to meliorate the vigor of our Maine Coon Cats. In cattle (Burris, 1995) the employ of crossbreeding will increase the calving charge per unit, livability and growth charge per unit. An important point is that crossbreeding must be washed with a long term program. For this discussion the diverse UNRELATED LINES of Maine Coon Cats will be used to supercede the term breeds. According to Dr. Bullock (1995) heterosis can also be expressed when two unrelated lines inside a breed are crossed. These unrelated lines, for case, could be Heidi Ho, Dirigo or Choate. Personal cattery names will not work unless the cats used are totally unrelated. Most of the cats that are being used today are from the Heidi Ho Line. A planned breeding plan would include using the various unrelated lines as an private breed for the purposes of a crossbreeding schema. The post-obit are examples of those plans: Ii-Line Cross : Would stand for a male form one unrelated line and a female person from another, for example a Heidi Ho female bred to a Dirigo male. These kittens produces should demonstrate better characteristics than their parents. In this example the kittens would demonstrate hybrid vigor such as survivability, but the inbred parents would still consequence in relative low reproduction rates Three-Line Cantankerous : This could be done by convenance for example a Heidi Ho female to a Dirigo male person, so saving a kitten. This kitten could be bred to a Choate cat. According to Burris (1995) this would provide for nearly maximum hybrid vigor. In other words, both parents and kittens would be outcrossed which should negate the adverse effects of inbreeding low. Two-Line Rotation or Crisscross : A Unproblematic crossbreeding system involving breeding two cats from different unrelated lines. For example a Heidi Ho male person could be bred to a Choate female. In succeeding generations females are bred to sires that are of opposite lines from their sire. 2 stud males from unlike lines are needed. These males would need to be replaced periodically. 3-Line Rotation or Crisscross : This plan would follow the same pattern as the two line rotation simply a third line is added. This rotation maintains a higher level of hybrid vigor than that of a two-breeding system. Three singled-out groups of cats are created and they are mated to the stud male which is least related to them. The above plans provide for maximum heterosis or hybrid vigor which will reduce the effects of inbreeding depression. Inbreeding depression according to Robinson (l988) is the term used to describe the turn down in vigor or full general weakness in purebred stock. It is produced considering of an increasing number of genes that are homozygous (Robinson, 1988). This is because the genes are similar for virtually traits as opposed to being randomly mix equally your would find in a natural population of animals (heterozygous). Robinson (1988) likewise stated that inbreeding depression may upshot almost any characteristic or feature. This could include a decline in birth weight, lethargic kittens and poor growth rates. Litter size may be reduced with an increment in yet built-in kittens or abnormal kittens. Robinson (1988) further noted that reproductive functioning may autumn off as evidenced by males failing copulate and females failing to come into oestrus. He also stated that there may be a greater incidence of illness, with cats being more delicate or temperamental which atomic number 82 to an insidious status when a majority of the animals within a bred are related. Our Maine Coons are condign extremely homozygous. Information technology is not uncommon for the aforementioned cat to be listed in pedigrees multiple times. Litter mate kittens are bred together then a kitten from that mating is bred back to an uncle then a kitten from that breeding bred back to one of the original mated pair. This has gone on for several generations. When will it cease? How may lethal characteristic will be uncovered before breeders realize that a homozygous gene pool is not a desirable country. In general, heterosis or hybrid vigor can be realized within a given breed of cats, if cats can be classified into unrelated genetic lines. With heterosis two dissimilar forms of a given gene are at a given locus on a chromosome (Siegal, 1990). According to Dr. D Bullock, 1995 the greatest outcome of hybrid vigor is evidenced when two highly inbred lines are crossed. This happens because an extremely inbred line would exist homozygous or have the same forms of a given genes at a given chromosome (Siegal, 1990). Isn't it fourth dimension to do some skilful animal husbandry and try using the principals of crossbreeding or outcrossing within a breed. This can best be accomplished by using the techniques already in exercise by other groups of domestic animals. In summary, information technology is not necessary nor desirable to continue to line breed our Maine Coon Cat. Convenance programs are now at a point where continues inbreeding volition continue to deepen the consequence of inbreeding depression. Due to the miracle called hybrid vigor type and desired feature will not be lost. On the reverse outcrossing volition simply better the strength of our beloved cats I would like to give thanks Dr. Bullocks for helping me with the technical parts of this commodity.

RESOURCES Bullock, Darrh, Ph.D., Beef Cattle Extension Specialist Convenance and Genetics, Department of Animate being Science, University of Kentucky, 1995.

Burris, Roy, Planning the Breeding Program ,Section 2, Beefiness Cow-Dogie Management, Academy of Kentucky , Co-operative Extention Service, 1995, p.ii.1 - 2-8.

Robinson, Roy , Genetics For True cat Breeders, New York :Pergamon Printing, 1988, p.97-99.

Siegal, Mordecai, EDT ., The Cornell Book of Cats, New York : Villard Books, 1990, p.391.

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