Animal Health and Welfare
It is important for breeding organisations to ensure the health and welfare of the animals they keep and select.
The search for selectable traits, indicating species specific animal welfare is ongoing.
New biological insights into brain function, genetics of behaviour and physiological indicators of stress and well-being will provide new tools that allow welfare traits to be treated more objectively than at present.
Adaptability
Breeders are producing animals for a wide range of production environments from extensive organic systems to more intensive systems on larger farms (that continue to get larger still).
Domestication
Most farm animals have been domesticated for thousands of years and as such have been adapted to an environment of co-existence with humans.
They are easier to handle, able to reproduce in captivity, under circumstances with abundance of food and absence of direct predators.
Breeders must keep a balance between the intrinsic characteristics of domesticated species, welfare and improved production levels.
Disease resistance (General and specific)
Breeding may contribute to robust and healthy animals by selection for more general and specific disease resistance and consequently less use of medicines.
Optimisation of use of medicines and vaccines, given the genetic make up of the animal, is a significant opportunity for development.
The search for selectable traits, indicating species specific animal welfare is ongoing.
New biological insights into brain function, genetics of behaviour and physiological indicators of stress and well-being will provide new tools that allow welfare traits to be treated more objectively than at present.
Adaptability
Breeders are producing animals for a wide range of production environments from extensive organic systems to more intensive systems on larger farms (that continue to get larger still).
Domestication
Most farm animals have been domesticated for thousands of years and as such have been adapted to an environment of co-existence with humans.
They are easier to handle, able to reproduce in captivity, under circumstances with abundance of food and absence of direct predators.
Breeders must keep a balance between the intrinsic characteristics of domesticated species, welfare and improved production levels.
Disease resistance (General and specific)
Breeding may contribute to robust and healthy animals by selection for more general and specific disease resistance and consequently less use of medicines.
Optimisation of use of medicines and vaccines, given the genetic make up of the animal, is a significant opportunity for development.
