Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection
In livestock species, breeding goals are aimed primarily at improvement of production traits. However, there are a number of examples where selection for high production efficiency has resulted in reduced welfare through unfavorable outcomes in health and fitness characteristics. These effects raise...
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| Формат: | Online |
| Язык: | английский |
| Опубликовано: |
Frontiers Media SA
2021
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| Предметы: | |
| Online-ссылка: | 18270 |
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Нет меток, Требуется 1-ая метка записи!
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| _version_ | 1869528785497358336 |
|---|---|
| author | Wendy Mercedes Rauw |
| author_browse | Wendy Mercedes Rauw |
| author_facet | Wendy Mercedes Rauw |
| author_sort | Wendy Mercedes Rauw |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | In livestock species, breeding goals are aimed primarily at improvement of production traits. However, there are a number of examples where selection for high production efficiency has resulted in reduced welfare through unfavorable outcomes in health and fitness characteristics. These effects raise questions about what is ethically acceptable in animal breeding. Welfare problems may be experienced when physiological balance is disturbed by genetic selection for high production alone, by a mismatch between the environmental challenges and the range of coping responses available to an animal, or from a mismatch between the animal’s needs and their degree of satisfaction. This may be resolved by either improving the environment to support the animal, but also by providing the animal, through genetic selection, with means to adapt to the production environment. The Standing Committee of the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes emphasizes that breeding goals should include health and welfare. The Farm Animal Welfare Council pleas for a greater emphasis in breeding programs on traits associated with good welfare. However, although breeding goals in most farm animal species have been broadened beyond production traits to include functional traits, behavioral traits are rarely included despite their potential to improve animal production and welfare. It is the goal of the present Research Topic to bring together experimental and theoretical research focusing on the genetics of welfare traits and the possibility to improve animal welfare through selection. This topic presents an overview of the relationship between selection for high production and livestock robustness, examples of improving robustness through the introduction of novel traits in livestock breeding, and a discussion on selection methods to address welfare issues. The discussion on sustainability of breeding practices is very alive today and will remain to be an important part of the debate in the future. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-50063 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media SA |
| publisherStr | Frontiers Media SA |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-500632024-04-05T12:35:12Z Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection Wendy Mercedes Rauw QH426-470 Q1-390 animal breeding livestock improvement selection livestock production Genetics welfare sustainable agriculture thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAK Genetics (non-medical) In livestock species, breeding goals are aimed primarily at improvement of production traits. However, there are a number of examples where selection for high production efficiency has resulted in reduced welfare through unfavorable outcomes in health and fitness characteristics. These effects raise questions about what is ethically acceptable in animal breeding. Welfare problems may be experienced when physiological balance is disturbed by genetic selection for high production alone, by a mismatch between the environmental challenges and the range of coping responses available to an animal, or from a mismatch between the animal’s needs and their degree of satisfaction. This may be resolved by either improving the environment to support the animal, but also by providing the animal, through genetic selection, with means to adapt to the production environment. The Standing Committee of the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes emphasizes that breeding goals should include health and welfare. The Farm Animal Welfare Council pleas for a greater emphasis in breeding programs on traits associated with good welfare. However, although breeding goals in most farm animal species have been broadened beyond production traits to include functional traits, behavioral traits are rarely included despite their potential to improve animal production and welfare. It is the goal of the present Research Topic to bring together experimental and theoretical research focusing on the genetics of welfare traits and the possibility to improve animal welfare through selection. This topic presents an overview of the relationship between selection for high production and livestock robustness, examples of improving robustness through the introduction of novel traits in livestock breeding, and a discussion on selection methods to address welfare issues. The discussion on sustainability of breeding practices is very alive today and will remain to be an important part of the debate in the future. 2021-02-11T16:01:57Z 2021-02-11T16:01:57Z 2016-01-19 14:05:46 2016 book 18270 16648714 9782889198832 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/50063 eng Frontiers Research Topics image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International http://www.frontiersin.org/books/Improving_Animal_Welfare_through_Genetic_Selection/918#nogo http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/1318/improving-animal-welfare-through-genetic-selection Frontiers Media SA 10.3389/978-2-88919-883-2 10.3389/978-2-88919-883-2 bf5ce210-e72e-4860-ba9b-c305640ff3ae 9782889198832 106 open access |
| spellingShingle | QH426-470 Q1-390 animal breeding livestock improvement selection livestock production Genetics welfare sustainable agriculture thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAK Genetics (non-medical) Wendy Mercedes Rauw Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection |
| title | Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection |
| title_full | Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection |
| title_fullStr | Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection |
| title_short | Improving Animal Welfare through Genetic Selection |
| title_sort | improving animal welfare through genetic selection |
| topic | QH426-470 Q1-390 animal breeding livestock improvement selection livestock production Genetics welfare sustainable agriculture thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAK Genetics (non-medical) |
| topic_facet | QH426-470 Q1-390 animal breeding livestock improvement selection livestock production Genetics welfare sustainable agriculture thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAK Genetics (non-medical) |
| url | 18270 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wendymercedesrauw improvinganimalwelfarethroughgeneticselection |