Some problems and perspectives of sheep breeding research

Not all performance traits improved by breeding during the last decades can be further improved in the same manner indefinitely. This includes e.g. increased daily gain in lambs which leads to higher body mass in parent stock, or increased litter size which is correlated with higher losses and labor. Financial input in total breeding and production costs must be reduced without compromising further advances in breeding. Breeding against disease susceptibility, for a reduction in medication and improved vitality will have to play a more important role. A grading up with rams is not always the best solution. Causality of undesirable correlation’s among performance traits and between performance traits and vigor must be resolved and can, in part, be circumvented by crossbreeding. Crossbreeding in some cases also serves to meet market demands regarding quality aspects and helps to preserve endangered indigenous breeds.Rudolf Wassmuth, Reiner Beuing, Stefan Hiendlede