Allan M.

Francisco

Class Project for the Final Period

AGRIC

101 Animal Production Group

My Animal Breed Improvement Project

1. Introduction

This exercise was conceived to enable the students put into practice the lessons learned in the
previous sessions in the class. The exercise hopes to provide an experiential learning process at
their own homes, farms and gardens and thus enable them to fully appreciate the resources of
their locality.

2. Objectives.

At the end of this exercise, the student is expected to be enable to

a. Explain the behaviors and characteristics of the animal stock of his/her choice
b. Illustrate the genetic history of the animal stock.
c. Explain its reproductive behaviors and growth cycles.
d. Explain its growing requirements including food, housing/shelter and grazing/pasture
requirements.
e. Identify and explain its specific positive as well as negative characteristics.
f. Create a breed improvement plan for this animal stock, explaining the reasons for every
step.
3. Steps to be undertaken
a. Choose a livestock of your choice. Choose a native or heritage breed. Examples of
this are native pigs, native chicken, free range chicken, geeze, ducks, guinea fowls,
rabbit and others. Choose those that have close relations with the wild or native
animal species.
b. Answer the following questions in narrative form. Provide pictures and drawings as
necessary.

i. What is the livestock that you chose? Why? Give them a cute name.

Horse is the subject for this project since, my family have two horses: Red Horse, a male and Bay
Roan, a female.

We named the male horse as “Alaxan” and the female horse as “Alexandra”. Giving names to the
animals like horses is something that building up an intimate relationship with them and giving them
identity. It also helps the owner to have more attachment to the animals.

ii. Explain the behaviors and characteristics of the animal stock of your choice?
 Horses are social animals that live in herds when in a natural state. They also manifest their
emotions very openly and visibly. They tend to be dominant and commonly establish hierarchies,
without being violent. Aggressiveness isn’t part of their nature and they prefer to flee before fighting.

Believing that animals don’t possess the same traits as humans is a misconception. At least as far as
character and temper are concerned. In addition, it’s also useful to distinguish and identify these
features when creating a relationship with them.

Generally, a horse’s character tends to be gentle. Because of this, it’s possible to approach them and
train them safely by being respectful and careful.

Temper has to do with breed type or bloodline. Because of their temper, horses can be nervous and
hyperactive and will need more or less space to live. According to this trait, there are three kinds of
horses to note: (1) hot-blooded: Also called pure breed, they are the most active, nervous and alert.
Moreover, they have better “rideability”. (2) Warm-blooded: They are the result of a cross between hot
and cold-blooded horses. (3) Cold-blooded: Usually calm and tame horses. They come from large breeds
of carriage horses.

iii. How does it eat? How does it sleep? Fight, mate, reproduce?

In simple terms, horses eat grass and hay or haylage, but salt, concentrates and fruits or vegetables
can also enhance their diets, depending on the required work regime and available feed.

That’s because horses actually doze while on their feet and lie down for REM to sleep…to protect
themselves, horses instead doze while standing. They’re able to do this through the stay apparatus, a
special system of tendons and ligaments that enables a horse to lock the major joints in its legs.

Horses are herd animals and under natural circumstances engage in battle for leadership of their
group and for mating purposes.

Mares signal estrus and ovulation by urination in the presence of a stallion, raising the tail revealing
the vulva. A stallion, approaching with a high head, with usually nicker nip and nudge the mare, as well
as sniff her urine to determine her readiness for mating.

Horses reproduce by the male impregnating the female resulting in a live, single birth; the female, or
mare carries the foal for approximately 11 months. Foals are usually born in the spring with the ability to
walk, stand and run…their legs at birth are almost as long as they will be when fully grown.

iv. What benefits do they give? Explain.

Horse ownership can be very exciting and rewarding. The primary benefits from horse ownership
are companionship, recreation and relaxation, but many people do not often realize the health
benefits that can be gained from owning a horse. Keep in mind that raising and maintaining a horse
can be expensive, requires a lot of attention, and requires plenty of land for the horse to run.

As horse owner, it keeps you physically active. It builds self-confidence specially when riding it. It
reduces stress due to physical exercise when maintaining the horse. It keeps you socially active
when taking riding lessons and meet many friends with similar interests. It engages the creative side
of your brain when training the horse because it will force you to think creatively about how to train
it and how to solve a particular problem. It builds character as a natural part of ownership, teaching
responsibility, punctuality, patience, sportsmanship, frugality, commitment, confidence and self-
esteem. It promotes a union with nature by being outside and enjoying the fresh air that can do
wonders for your mental and physical health, plus the dose of vitamin D you get from being in the
sunshine that is essential for your body. It maintains bone mass through all of the weight bearing
exercise that you do, including hauling barn equipment and carrying saddles, helps maintain bone
mass which important as you age. It improves digestion through riding a horse at a walking pace
stimulates the internal organs just as walking on foot does. This aids in liver function and digestion.

v. In a drawing, illustrate the genetic history of the animal stock. Who are their parents? Who
are their close relatives?
vi. In a series of drawing, explain its reproductive behaviors and growth cycles. When is their
maturity period? How long is their gestation period? What are their behaviour during
gestation or brooding period? How many offspring do they produce? Please elaborate.

vii. Explain its growing requirements including food, housing/shelter, and grazing pasture
requirements.

Horses require six main classes of nutrients to survive; they include water, fats,
carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals. Water is the most important nutrient; horse
can’t live long without it!

Horse housing can be indoor or outdoor housing, or a combination of both…unless there

is adequate pasture to allow horses freedom at all time, then housing must restrict access to
pasture. All horses should be protected from the inclement weather.

As a general thumb rule, at least 2 – 3 acres per horse is required if you expect pasture
to provide all the necessary forage for the season…Overgrazing weakens and eventually kills
 forage plants, and weeds become established in their place. Horses prefer not to graze grass
that is too tall.

viii. Identify and explain its specific positive as well as negative characteristics. What
characteristics do you want to improve on them?

Horses are temperamental being. Horse’s character is related to the traits that are present in the
animal most of the time. This traits can be taught and the horse can be trained. It’s also related to their
willingness to learn and to train, among other things.

The horse is a fascinating animal with many different kinds of breeds. We can fairly understand their
character with some observation and a good disposition. By creating a positive interaction based on
respect and building mutual trust, it’s possible to interpret their traits correctly. The fact that horses can
interpret human emotions based on our facial expressions, body language and tone of voice.

ix. Make a plan on how you will improve and reproduce their breed. Include illustrations,
drawing and explain if you have any special technologies or techniques to use.

The goal of every horse breeder is to produce genetically superior horses. Because there are so
many environmental conditions which affect the horse, it is difficult to evaluate the genetic potential. A
gifted breeder is able to select superior horses for mating, and manages the environmental affects, such
as nutrition, health care, training and injuries, to maximize the horse’s genetic potential. Since breeding
for quality horses is not a simple matter, breeders must understand basic genetic principles and their
application to successful in the horse business.

In a successful breeding program, there are some things to be considered:

a. Basic Genetics of Horses

 Each horse has 32 pairs of chromosomes.
 There are two main type of gene action: qualitative and Quantitative.
o Qualitative gene action occurs when a single or only a few gene pairs control a trait.
o Quantitative gene action occurs when many gene pairs affect a specific trait.
 A heritability estimate is the estimate of what percentage of the horse’s actual makeup is
due to genetics as opposed to the percent that is influenced by the environment.
b. Selecting Breeding Stock
The most important aspect of developing a good breeding program is the selection of
outstanding breeding stock. Identifying genetically superior breeding stock is accomplished by
using individual records, pedigree records and progeny information.

 Individual Records

With high heritability traits, the individual record is a good indication of the horse’s breeding
potential. By selecting an outstanding individual based on its records, the probability of passing
those genetics onto the next generation is quite good, as high as 40 to 60 percent in many traits
of economic importance to horses.

 Pedigree Records
 Breeders should also look at the horse’s pedigree. Horses that can have an outstanding sire
and an outstanding dam have a higher probability of favourable genes for those desired traits.
The pedigree will give some indication of the genes for those desired traits. The pedigree will
give some indication of the genes that have been passed on and shows the prepotence or the
concentration of the quality genes in the individual.

 Progeny Records

If the mare or stallion has produced offspring, the offspring are the truest estimate of te
horse’s potential. Breeders should look at the average of all the offspring that have been
produced, not just one particularly outstanding offspring. If a horse has produced 10 of more
offspring indicate the genetic potential of the horse.

c. Achieving Genetic Progress

The rates of progress that a breeder makes a breeding program are dependent on four things:

1. Consistent goal

Breeding programs have become so specialized (racing, halter, cutting, pleasure, etc.) that
the all-around horse cannot be competitive in any event. Therefore, breeding programs must be
focused on a single goal to be successful. The goals of a breeding program should be
economically important, genetically sound, consistent and focused on the market.

2. Heritability

Heritability is the second aspect of genetic progress. It is relatively high in most traits of
economic importance; therefore it is not a limiting factor in most breeding programs.

3. Selection intensity

It is simply the amount of selection pressure applied for a particular trait. In other words,
the difference between the horses you selected and the average of the breed. It is extremely
important to select the highest quality individuals that are available, because the higher the
superiority of the selected horses, the greater the improvement that can be expected in the
foals. Selection of high quality mares is equally important as selection of the stallion, even
though as stallion has a greater genetic input in the herd.

4. Generation interval
The generation interval is simply the length of time it takes to replace all the mares and
stallions in a herd. The shortest period of time required for a mare o produce a female to
replace herself will be approximately four years. In reality, selecting the best mare in your herd
for replacement and getting them into production requires a generation interval of 6 to 7 years.

d. End Result: A Progressive Breeding Program

A progressive breeding program must take advantage of these genetic principles in

order to be successful. Progressive breeders should start with the best mares and stallion
affordable.
 The plan should be to be produce 3 to 4 foal out of each mare and then replace the
mare with her best filly. Any mares that do not produce or produce low quality colts should be
eliminated from the breeding herd. A second stallion must be selected to breed to the new
fillies that are used as replacements.

By taking advantage of the superior genetic potential in the foals produced and utilizing
them in the breeding herd as quickly as possible, maximum genetic improvement will be
achieved.