AGB 211: Livestock and Poultry Breeding (2+1)

INBREEDING DEPRESSION

• A degree in the performance of inbred mostly in traits like fertility, survivability and reduction in overall performance noticed in inbred is called inbreeding depression. It is a manifestation of poor gene combination value, which is direct result of increase homozygosity. Decline in performance of inbred over the mean of their parents is also called inbreeding depression. Decline is more pronounced in traits which are close to reproduction or fitness.
• Eg. Reduction in growth rate, reduced No. of ova, increase in early embryonic mortality, increase in mortality.