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title: "14.7.3.1 Example of a breeding circle: the Veluws Heideschaap (2024)"
canonical: "https://wiki.groenkennisnet.nl/space/TAB/299467381/14.7.3.1%20Example%20of%20a%20breeding%20circle%3A%20the%20Veluws%20Heideschaap%20(2024)"
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In the Veluws Heideschaap breed a breeding circle is in operation for over 30 years. The inbreeding rate was determined in the real population with a 12K SNP-chip. In the real population this was 0.29%, based on markers to 0.41% per generation based on heterozygosity levels. This was 2 to 3 times as high as the theoretically derived values. These increased rates in the real population are probably due to selection and/or the presence of dominant rams delivering a disproportionate high number of offspring. When these two hypothesis were simulated the measured inbreeding rate agreed better: 0.35% for selection, 0.38% for dominant rams and 0.67% for the combination. The realized inbreeding rates are a warning that in a real population inbreeding rates in a breeding circle can be higher than theoretically expected.

![IMG_2797.jpg](media://85d4466b-1527-4dd1-8866-1397f3ccaf8b)