Identifying selection strategies based on the practices and preferences of small ruminant farmers to improve the sustainability of their breeding systems.
2024
THÉNARD, V. | QUÉNON, J. | ARSENOS, G. | BAILO, G. | BAPTISTA, R. | BYRNE, T. | DE BARBIERI, I. | BRUNI, G. | FREIRE, F. | THEODORIDIS, A. | VOURAKI, S.
ABSTRACT.- Small ruminant farming is of socio-economic and environmental importance to many rural communities around the world. The SMARTER H2020 project aims to redefine genetic selection criteria to increase the sustainability of the sector. The objective of this study was to analyse the selection and breeding management practices of small ruminant producers and breeders, linked with socio-technical elements thatshape them. The study is based on farm surveys using semi-structured interviews conducted in five countries (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Uruguay) across 272 producers and breeders of 13 sheep and goat breeds, and 15 breed X system combinations. The information was collected in four sections. The first and second sections dealt with general elements of structure and management of the system and the flock/herd. The third section focused on selection and breeding management practices: criteria for culling and replacement of females, selection criteria for males, use of estimated breeding values and global indexes, and preferences for indexing new traits to increase the sustainability of their system. The fourthsection aimed to collect socio-technical information. @ 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Animal Consortium.
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