Breeding Methods in Animal Improvement—Larger Stock

Extract

I Feel at a distinct disadvantage compared with the speakers this morning because the foundations on which to discuss breeding methods, and progress, are more clear-cut in the case of poultry than in larger farm stock. Poultry are fast-breeding—you can get a lot of offspring quickly if you want them—they can be, and to a great extent are, kept in fairly well-controlled conditions of husbandry, feeding, and management; and their performance is simply and accurately recordable. All these points are important—in contrast, for larger animals we lack a very, great deal of the factual information needed for a reasonable stocktaking of our assets, difficulties, and liabilities.

However, from what I know of the workings of our Executive Committee's minds, I believe I am expected to be provocative and to leave loose ends for open discussion. I propose therefore to try to outline the scope for breeding methods in improving our livestock and, if possible, to pick out some of the general principles that govern their use and effectiveness. In any case you will recall that some of the questions have been discussed at earlier meetings of this Society, such as the rôle of cross breeding in sheep, specialisation in pigbreeding, and recording systems in cattle. I ask you to allow me to generalize, and to note that the examples I quote are only examples—I make no pretensions at all to give a comprehensive or a detailed picture.