Online Animal Breeding Course

Are you looking for a career change?  or just want to learn a new skill?  The Animal Breeding Course has been developed in response to industry demand and is specifically designed to equip graduates with work-ready skills. Each participant will be trained and assessed in theory and in practical tasks. Real-world exercises are used throughout the program. 

Animal breeding is a branch of animal science that addresses the evaluation (using best linear unbiased prediction and other methods) of the genetic value (estimated breeding value, EBV) of livestock. Selecting for breeding animals with superior EBV in growth rate, egg, meat, milk, or wool production, or with other desirable traits has revolutionized livestock production throughout the world. The scientific theory of animal breeding incorporates population genetics, quantitative genetics, statistics, and recently moleculargenomics and is based on the pioneering work of Sewall Wright, Jay Lush, and Charles Henderson.

Breeding stock is a group of animals used for the purpose of planned breeding. When individuals are looking to breed animals, they look for certain valuable traits in purebred animals, or may intend to use some type of crossbreeding to produce a new type of stock with different, and presumably superior abilities in a given area of endeavor. For example, when breeding swine the "breeding stock should be sound, fast growing, muscular, lean, and reproductively efficient."The "subjective selection of breeding stock" in horses has led to many horse breeds with particular performance traits.

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Genetics
   • Plant cells
   • Animal cells
   • Cell division - mitosis (asexual reproduction); meiosis (sexual reproduction)
   • Genes - phenotype and genotype; homogenous and heterogenous
   • Terminology
   • The work of Mendel
   • Sex determination
2. Genetics
   • Gene mutations
   • Lethal genes
   • Effect of the environment
   • Hybrid vigour
   • Genetics in agriculture
   • Heritability
3. Selection
   • Animal breeding programs
   • Agriculture
   • Decide on your priorities
   • Dual purpose animals
   • Artificial selection
   • Gene groups
   • Regression
   • Domestic animals - Dogs, cats etc.
4. Pure Breeding
   • Inbreeding - close breeding and line breeding
   • Genetic effects of inbreeding
   • Advantages and disadvantages
5. Introduction to Cross Breeding
   • The effects of cross breeding in farm animals
   • Genetic effects, phenotype effects,heterosis, and genotype effect
   • Cross breeding in sheep
   • Cross breeding in domestic animals
6. Cross Breeding
   • Practical cross breeding
   • Two breed or single cross
   • Back cross or crisscrossing
   • Cyclical crossing
   • Rotational crossing
   • Advantages of cross breeeding
   • Reciprocal recurrent selection
   • Breed societies
   • Grading up
7. Livestock Improvement
   • Performance Testing
   • Sib Testing
   • Progeny testing
   • Relative breeding Values (RBV)
   • Artificial insemination
   • Synchroised heats
   • Ova transplants

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.