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title: "3.2 Breeding goals depend on the production system"
canonical: "https://wiki.groenkennisnet.nl/space/TAB/282558504/3.2%20Breeding%20goals%20depend%20on%20the%20production%20system"
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In addition to food production, animals fulfil a variety of functions for mankind: providing labour, being a companion animal, participation in leisure activities, in cultural events and in nature management. The use of the animals and the wishes of the users determine to a great extend the breeding goal and the breeding programs. In these breeding programs for animal functions other than food production, several traits play an important role in addition to selective breeding for the obvious breeding goal traits: health and welfare of the animals, and adaptation to digest feed of lower quality and to extreme climates in which they are capable to produce and to reproduce. The first slide on the right gives an impression of the role of livestock in developing countries. The second of the socio-cultural value of the Indonesian Madura cattle. Before defining the breeding goal many questions on the production system have to be answered. For what reason the animals are kept? In which way the products and animals are marketed? What are important aspects of feeding and management? Are the breeders organized? Is there already a breeding program in place? What traits can be recorded? Is artificial reproduction applicable? Hence, these aspects of production systems determine the possibilities for breeding programs and for the selection of breeding goal traits.