CONSTRUCTIVE BREEDING

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LIII, Issue 12, 12 February 1932, Page 8

CONSTRUCTIVE BREEDING

SELECTIVE METHODS,

Constructive dairy cattle breeding may be stated as the application of the selective methods in mating, and there are two systems which may lead to satisfactory results. One of these depends for success upon selec\ ting, each time a change of sire is necessary, a bull of outstanding merit and disregards any relationships which may exist between it and the previous sire. In this case selection is based entirely upon the individual merit of, the sire and having due regard to the qualification of its immediate ancestors. The other method is to line breed by selected sons of a noted family, or of a cow which has exhibited exceptional qualities. The object sought in the latter case is to endeavour to concentrate the good qualities of some family or female by working within the family and so lessen the tendency to a greater variation by the influences which are liable to intervene when animals possessing varying family traits are mated. One of the disadvantages of line breeding results very often from the long period which may pass before a bull from the desired cow is obtained. Many years were spent by the Warenda breeder, Mr T. Mesley, before he bred Snap of Warenda, reports the Leader (Melbourne). The pedigree of this bull shows that the methods employed were directed to an inheritance of sex-linked characters. Mr Mesley is now mating this bull for a special purpose with the Warenda females on his maternal side. Already Snap of Warenda has sired two junior two-year-olds yielding over 4001b. butter fat, and a junior three-year-old giving over 501b. milk daily. These results are very encouraging.