Chapter 1.

INTRODUCTION
1.1. Definition of Terminology
 Genetics seek to describe for the similarities and difference exhibited by related
individual.
 physiology of reproduction deals with the processes by w/c new individuals come in
to being.
 Animal breeding: embraces both animal production technology and breeding
(broad).
 is the application of Genetics and Physiology of Reproduction for the improvement of
the animals(strict sense).i.e. use both science and art of breeding for improvement.
improvement
 Improvement is enhancement of the characters (qualitative
( and quantitative) over
those of the ancestors,
ancestors over that of the average of family.
family
 Gene: is the basic unit of inheritance/heredity
inheritance consisting of DNA sequence at a
specific location on a chromosomes.
 Locus: the specific site occupied by member of an allelic pair/genes on a
chromosome.
 Allele: an alternative form of the same genes on chromosomes that affect traits in d/t
ways.
 Traits: any observable or measurable characteristics of an individual
 Genotype: the genetic make-up of an individual (sum effect of genes)
 Phenotype: the outward expression of the animal’s genetic make-up (genotype) (an
observed group or measured level of performance for traits in an individual)
 Environment: non-genetic factors (external) that affect individual
performance.
 Linkage: The occurrence of two or more loci of on the same chromosome that
tend to be inherited jointly.
 Pleiotropy: special condition where one or the same genes (at the same locus)
has different effect on different traits/character at the same time (one gene has a
simultaneous effect on more than one (several) trait). Eg
 Heterozygote: organisms that received unlike allele for a specific locus from its
parent
 Homozygotes: organisms that receive like alleles for a given locus from its
parents
 Variation: measure of animal differences in a group/population
 Correlation: to describe the relationship or association between characters
 Recessive: an allele that masked by another (dominance)
 Dominant: condition where one allele masks the effect of the other (recessive)
allele
 Epistasis: an interaction among genes at different loci where one allele
dominant over another allele but they are not at the same locus. eg
 Hetrosis (Hybrid vigour): condition that occur when animals of different genetic
constitution are crossed(an increase in the performance of hybrid over pure
breed). Eg
 Breeding value: assessment of the future genetic potential of an animal
(Additive genetic value).
 Animal breed: a race of animal within species or is group of animals with in the
species of the same origin that have certain unique characters not found in
other group of the same species.
specie
 Breeder: a person who planned and determined the type of mating. So,
 Task of animal breeder: -to speed up and control every process of improvement
-to bring new combination of genes, which are best suited to the specific
purpose than the existing combinations.
• for this reason, the breeder has to learn,
• 1. Genetic make up of animals through Animals individualities, Parentage and
Performance of their close relatives
• 2. Combining the favourable characters by Selection and Breeding.
Breeding
1.2. Historical Development and Modern Concepts of Animal Breeding.
 The exact date when animal breeding was practised is not known.
known
 But according to the evidences from archaeology, the Mediterranean countries
(Egypt, Rome, Greece)
Greece initiated the Animal breeding.
 Eg. Egypt and Arabs are known for the horse breeding.
 In 12th c., Arabs considered dam as important in breeding but not the sire.
sire
 In 12th c., Denmark and Holland practised cattle breeding by providing better
environment eg feed.
 In 14th c., the royal families of U.K consider the performance of horses by
selection and breeding.
breeding
 Until the 18th c., there was no planned or systematic animal breeding.
 Robert Bakewell(1725-1790), is pioneer in Animal Breeding(father of Animal
Breeding) that contribute as:
 had definite ideas about cattle like beef cattle should be low set,
set blocky,
blocky and
quick maturing i.e. idea of body “conformation” (a set of morphological
character) and close relationship b/n morphological characteristic and
performance of animal.
 gave the importance to sires by selecting best animals.
 started a systematic progeny testing of sires.
sires i.e He lent good sires to other
breeders and also insist the progeny of the sire should be reared under similar
conditions and used those males which gave the best progeny in his farm (a kind
of progeny testing).
 Started inbreeding or closed breeding ( breeding best to best regardless of the
relationship of animal
 Started a kind of individual record keeping
Modern History of Animal Breeding
 G. Mendal (1865): provided the genetic principles of breeding
 Sir Francis Galton (1900)-Introduced the statistical methods in study of heredity
 Hazel (1943): devise the methods of estimating the genetic correlation b/n the
characters and construction of selection indices.
indices
 Lush .J.L (1945): Developed the methods for estimation of Breeding value and
heritability of characters,
characters designed breeding techniques and selection methods:
methods
 Fisher 1918, Wright 1921, Harvey 1960, Falconer 1960, Hill 1971, Henderson
1975 provided new procedures of statistics applicable to Animal Breeding and
others.
 Wright& Fisher: develop quantitative genetic theory, after two decade
 Lush introduce quantitative genetics in to the field animal breeding
 Aim/need of Animal breeding
• Generally, the main goal of animal breeding is
to improve the genetic potential of animal like the performance of eggs, milk
yield, environment in which animal is survive.
• Genetic potential improvement must go hand in hand with the environments
(health of animal, climate, stress, efficiency, quality and market).
Advantage and limitation of genetic improvement is
 slow esp. if selection is used to improve.
 permanent whatever the changes.
1.3. Breeds and characteristics of Ethiopian Livestock A1, A3
A. Diversity in livestock types:
• Breed/type of livestock in Ethiopia is diversified in d/t topographic and agro-
climatic condition.
• Classification of Ethiopian Livestock:
• I. Cattle: classified in to four main groups
a. Humpless: Brachyceros sheko (mitzan, Goda) Bench Zone: Hamitic, long horn-
Kuri (Kouri)
b. Zebu cattle: Arsi, Borana, Barca, Jijiga small zebu, Harar, short horned, Jem Jem
black, Bale highland zebu and various small short horned types.
c. Sanga: Abigar, Danakil, Raya-Azebo
d. Intermediate sanga-Zebu cattle: Arado, Fogera, Horro and Jiddu.
• General characteristics of Zebu cattle:
 Hump: Differ in size depending on breed, age, sex, fatness.
 Body: narrow with sloping rump.
 Legs: are long to keep the distance b/n the body and ground more to avoid heat.
 Heat tolerance: tolerant to heat due to low basal metabolic rate, low growth
rate, less yield they generate less of internal heat,
• have more capacity to dissipate heat by conduction and evaporation.
• have short sleek/shiny coat,
• high surface area to body mass ratio and
• high number of sweat glands.
 Tick resistance: are partially resistant to ticks and
• have the ability to repel the flies by movement of their skin.
 Nutritional requirement: have low nutritional requirement due to small size, low
basal metabolic rate.
• are highly efficient in digestion of low level of feed (low quality feed). So, smaller
animals are superior to larger animals at lean period.
 Productivity: Late maturity,
• longer inter calving period,
• shorter lactation length,
• poor yield and failure of milk let down milk with out calf but higher percentage
of milk fat and solid-not-fat.
• II. Sheep
• Traditionally, there are about 14 recognized sheep in Ethiopia.
• based on physical characteristics,
characteristics they are classified into four main
groups,
groups as.
• CLASSIFICATION BREED SHEEP TYPE TAIL
TYPE/SHAPE
 Short fat tailed Simien Simien
• Short fat tailed sekota,farta, tikur, menz fatty
&short washera washera
 Long Fat tailed Horro Horro
• Arsi- Bale Arsi-Bale, Adilo fatty & long
• Bonga Bonga(gesha, menit)
 Fat rumped Afar Afar(Danakil) fat rump with fat
tail
Black head Somali Black head Somali fat rump& tiny
tail
• (wanke, ogaden, Berbera
 Thin tailed Gumuz Gumuz Thin and long
• III. Goats:
• Based on physical characteristics and genetic differences, there are four
families and 12 breed of goats.
• FAMILIES BREED NAME
• 1. Nubian family 1-Nubian
• 2- afar (adal, dankil)
• 2. Rift valley family 3- Abergelle
• 4 - Arsi-bale (gishe, sidama)
• 5-Woito-guji(woyto,guji konso)
• 6-Harerghe highland
• 3. Somali family 7-Short eared Somali (denghiel)
• 8-Long eared Somali (large white
9-central high land (brown goat)
• 4. Small East African family 10-West high land
• 11-West lowland (gumuz) and
12 - keffa
IV Camel: There is no classification work, but they are one humped (Dromedaries)
V. Chicken: No detailed classification work
• B. genetic make up of Livestock in Ethiopia
• are poor in most of the economic traits e.g. Milk, meat, power production, egg
• C. Livestock purpose in Ethiopia: have multi purpose
• Cattle - Draft power, milk, meat, hide, manure
• Sheep – Hair, meat, skin and milk in some area
• Goat – Meat, milk, skin,
• Equine(Horse, Donkey,Mule) – Draft power (ploughing and pack) and transport
• Camel – for milk, meat, pack, and transport
• Poultry – Egg and meat
• The differences between Bos taurus and B. indicus cattle:
• European (B. taurus) cattle Zebu (B. indicus) cattle

1. No hump Has Hump in thoracic region.

2. Rounded ears at right Long drooping ears, pointed not rounded

angle to the head.
3. short and wide Head. Long and narrow head.
4. small Dewlap and brisket Well developed Dewlap and brisket
5. Thick Skin( 7-8 m m). Thin Skin, 5-6 mm.

6. Large subcutaneous fat in small subcutaneous fat at all stages.

mature animals.
7. Straight Back line.
line High Back line at shoulders, low behind hump,
hump
high over pin bones,
bones sloping down over tailbud
8. wide and outstanding Hip narrow and angular Hip bones.
bones

9. Long and well suspended rounded and poorly suspended Udder and
Udder between the hind legs carried in front not b/n the hind legs

10 non-medullated and slip Hair Medullated and erect hair fibres and away from
fibres on the skin surface. the skin.

11. long,
long rough and Double- short and smooth-coated Hair.
Hair Little or no
coated Hair. Seasonal differences seasonal difference in hair length.
12. both Hair and skin are Skin is pigmented irrespective of colour of
pigmented or non-pigmented.
non-pigmented hair.
13. Short Legs and slow moving. Longer Legs and fast faster moving.
14 Skin and hair attract ticks. Skin and hair less attract ticks.
15. Fast maturing,
maturing at or before 4 Slow maturing, rarely before 51/2 Years.
years.
16. Milk yield, lactose and Milk yield, lactose and nitrogen content do
nitrogen content drop when not drop until ambient temperature reach or
ambient temperatures reach or exceed 350 C.
exceed 24o C
17. ‘Comfort zone’ between 40 C_ ‘Comfort zone’ between 150 C _ 300 C.
150 C.
18. fully grown Adult animals are fully grown Adult animals are small;
small bulls
large; bulls reach 1,000 kg live 700 kg.
• From the above differences
 -straight backline,
backline
 -long udder with fat and well suspended b/n behind the hind leg,
 -fast maturity,
maturity and
 size of animal could be reduced or modified, to a greater or lesser extent by
man as a results of selection, esp. animal breeding, since the species was
domesticated.
• Other of the features noted are of little or no significance with respect to
productive performance or the adaptation of the species to its environment.
• But, most of the factors listed has a great importance in one or other of these
respects.