Chapter 2: Breeds of Livestock and Poultry (part 1)

• Chapter overview:– Chapter 2 includes discussion and illustration

for selected types and breeds of livestock and poultry:

• part 1: development of breeds and illustrations

• part 2: life cycles of US food animal species

Defining Terms:

• Breed - a group of animals possessing certain characteristics in common that distinguish them from other members of the species

• Purebred - animal that arose from mating of parents from within the breed

Breed Example: Berkshire Hog

• Described as:– Black body color– Six “white points”: white feet, white splash on the face, and

the tip of the tail– Ears held erect

Defining Terms:

• Registered - an animal that is recorded in the official registry of the breed organization (fig 2.2, p.23)

• Pedigree - record of an individual’s ancestry; generally contains the names and registry numbers of ancestors, but may include performance data (fig 2.1, p.23)

Defining Terms:

• Pedigree, Record, or Breed Association:– Each pure breed has a pedigree association– Organization of breeders to improve the breed,

preserve its purity, and promote the breed– Business includes recording pedigrees and

issuing certificates of registry and ownership– Association adopts a “standard of perfection”

stating desirable and distinguishable characteristics

Defining Terms:

• Form and function - selection of breeds generally results in a particular form and function, called “type”– Examples of differences in type include the

heavy draft-type horse and small pony-type horse

Defining Terms:

• Form and function - “type” continued:– Single versus “multiple” types:

• in the US, breeds of hogs are considered to be of one type: meat producing

• but cattle around the world may be of single type (milking), dual purpose (milk and meat) or triple purpose (milk, meat, and draft)

Viewing Selected Breeds of Livestock:

• To view an extensive set of pictorial representations of the breeds of domestic farm animals, go to: www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/

• This site was developed by the faculty and staff of Oklahoma State University