The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Missy on September 25, 2019, 09:06:57 am

Title: Breeding lines
Post by: Missy on September 25, 2019, 09:06:57 am

I keep coloured Ryeland sheep and dont want to sell the ram but need to get some more bloodlines in.

I have found 2 ewes but how closely related can they be to my ram as these 2 have his bloodlines.

Unless there is anyone local to south east that have 4 shearlings or lambs?

Title: Re: Breeding lines
Post by: bj_cardiff on September 25, 2019, 11:49:00 am

Personally having the same bloodlines wouldn't worry me too much - within reason. How closely related are the Ram and these 2 ewes?

Title: Re: Breeding lines
Post by: Fleecewife on September 25, 2019, 01:21:57 pm

This is only important if you are breeding your sheep to sell breeding stock, rather than breeding them primarily for meat.  We try to have only a max of one shared ancestor per pedigree record of parent, grandparent and great grandparent.  Some times it happens that there are two, but ideally there should be none at that degree of proximity.  There is line breeding but that is usually done by breeders who know their genetics and are attempting to fix a particular trait - there will be 'wastage' at that level ie where inbreeding has a negative effect, so it's risky.
As a general rule, siblings, parents and grandparents should not be bred together