Breeding Winners to Winners and the Unhappy Results – Part I

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282 – June, 2021

By Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia

This is a report about an unpublished study and the interviews with breeders who had bred quality bitches to high quality males. Some of the litters were graded as average and not up to the quality of their sire or dam, others produced pups that fell short of the traits expected, and a few produced a litter with one good pup but its littermates were average or below average in quality. The wide range of unimpressive results prompted a study about breedings that involved the “Best to the Best”. The lingering question about these results was why were there so many disappointing litters. A closer look at the methods and information used to select sires and dams led to a preliminary conclusion that while some breeders experienced success, most did not because they relied on the idea that breeding the “best to the best” would produce better than average results. Further analysis shed light on the fact that most of the decisions about the breeding partners involved emphasis on just one or two traits and only a few breeders reported having any knowledge of genetics or how the genes would behave in a breeding. Most did not have a plan that included pedigree analysis and only a few knew the strengths and weaknesses of their sire and dam’s pedigree. As the interviews continued, I was reminded of a lesson learned early in my career as a breeder while studying genetics. It was a phrase often repeated in class … “how much you know will determine how far you will go”. That reminded me about the decision making process of these breeders and the frustration they endured.

Mendel

Click here to read the complete article
282 – June, 2021

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