Inbreeding has become a problem in some horse breeds. Studies show that it may lead to inbreeding depression which affects e.g. reproduction traits. In the wild there are mechanisms that make horses avoid mating with close relatives. When selection is done by humans this mechanism is removed and intensive breeding for a few traits, for example good racing results, can become a problem.

In Sweden you will find the coot chiefly in the southern parts. The species winters in the southern part of the Baltic Sea and along the coasts of northern Europe. The number of coots is heavily decreased by harsh winters. The population of the coots in Sweden is estimated to 20 000 to 30 000 pairs. The region of Dalarna is the random zone for the breeding of coots in Sweden .

The purpose of this Master thesis is to examine and describe dog breeders? information activities. Questions posed in this study are:? What are the information needs of dog breeders?? How does the dog breeder seek and use information?? How can the relationship between serious leisure and information activities be described?The theoretical framework consists of the sociologist Robert A Stebbins? theory about serious leisure. The study is based on a qualitative methodology.

The purpose of this report was to obtain an overview of rabbit meat production in the world, in terms of breeding and feeding. It examines how different feed components contribute to the health of the rabbit as well as the quality of the carcass, and the breeding strategies that are most common in the major producing countries. The production of rabbit meat in Sweden is at present not very large, but it is gaining ground, and that is why this paper mainly deals with the rabbit production abroad. This report also examines the disease Rabbit Viral Haermorrhagic Disease (RVHD) in Sweden, where this disease can cause big problems. The rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is very special, both in its reproduction and digestion. There is no specific mating season and the digestive tract is designed to digest forage efficiently.

Breeding-induced endometritis in horses seems to be down-regulated by certain components in the seminal plasma. These components are most likely some of the proteins in the seminal plasma in the stallion ejaculate, the so-called spermadhesins. This study aimed to recognize these proteins and determine their quantities in different fractions of the ejaculate. Fractionated ejaculates from four stallions were used to determine the presence and amount of proteins by way of size-excluding chromatography. All former known proteins, except two, were recognized in this study.

This work investigates the breeding success of the Black-throated Diver, Gavia arctica, related to the water quality in three lakes located in the Vallentuna area, north of Stockholm, Sweden.For more than 30 years, I have studied the bird life around these three and other nearby lakes, and noticed that the Black-throated Diver breeds in some lakes, but not in others.The results confirm that the deep and clear lakes Tärnan and Stora Harsjön have good water quality regarding pH, alkalinity, aluminium and Secchi disk values. As expected, the Black-throated Diver shows breeding success in those two lakes, but does not breed in the shallow and eutrophic lake Mysslingen. .

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease in cats. Maine coon is one of the breeds where the disease is overrepresented. Studies have shown that HCM is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait in Maine Coon cats. This finding has led to cardiac screening using ultrasound in the breed. The results of the screening are used in a national breeding program constructed to reduce the spread and incidence of HCM in Maine Coon cats.

Ossification of the collateral cartilages of the distal phalanx has been studied primarily in cold blooded horses. The clinical relevance of this condition is unknown. Despite this fact, since 1939, all Swedish Ardenner stallions have had to be classified as being free from this ossification to be approved for breeding. Initially, palpation was used as a diagnostic method, but since 1982 radiology has been the only method used. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of 68 years of breeding program. Dorsopalmar radiographs were taken of the front feet of 58 Ardenners (30 mares, 8 geldings and 20 stallions) and the ossification of the collateral cartilages was evaluated and graded according to three different scales; - Ruohoniemi (grade 0-5), - Swedish University of Agricultural Science (grade 0-3), - and a new scale (grade 0-3), developed for this study.

This study was conducted at VikingGenetics' bull breeding station in Falkenberg, Sweden. The bulls waiting for the results of their progeny testing at this station are either kept in group housing or individual housing. Since both of these housing systems have advantages and disadvantages, it was in the interest of VikingGenetics to know which of these housing systems is the best. The aim of this study was to investigate the welfare of the bulls in these two housing systems through behavioural observations and the use of activity monitors. In the preparations for the study 16 bulls, 8 in each housing system, were chosen.

The canine population has during it?s time with humans gone through at least 2 major genetic bottlenecks, the first when it was separated from the wolf, and the second when it was divided into different breeds. Among other things, this has lead to the accumulation of unwanted genes, such as genes causing disease in dogs. One such inherited disease is syringomyelia, which has proven to be more common than expected, especially in certain smaller breeds such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Syringomyelia in dogs is often a secondary condition caused by the malformation called occipital hypoplasia.

Lactobacillus reuteri has been used as probiotics in piglet and chicken feedings as well as in different diary products for humans. In this EEF-work I have shown that L. reuteri can be an alternative for treatment of vaginitis in laboratory rats used for breeding. In a breeding stock with 3000 animals some animals had a vaginal infection with ??haemolytic streptococci group G.

The purpose of this thesis was to analyze conception and foaling results of Swedish warmblood and Standardbred trotters using breeding statistics during the years 2000-2006. Key issues in this thesis were: Have the conception and foaling results of stallions changed during the period 2000-2006? What is the effect of the use of various breeding methods? Is testicle size correlated with conception and foaling results? How important are age, breed and level of inbreeding of the stallion for conception and foaling results? Breeding statistics were available for 537 Swedish Warmblood stallions and 305 Standardbred trotter stallions. To be included in the analyses, a stallion must have mated at least ten mares in total over the period 2000-2006. This criterion was met by 313 Swedish Warmblood stallions and 272 Standardbred trotter stallions.

Among the Indigenous cattle breeds in Indonesia, the Bali cattle is the most preferred by small farmers. The Bali cattle is a beef breed, and is considered to have several advantageous characteristics and to be well adapted to the country?s harsh environmental tropical conditions with drought and rain. The main aim of this project was to phenotype of Bali cattle from different locations in order to identify and document diversity within the Bali cattle breed based on their observable characteristics, to compare cattle from different areas and production systems to see the effect of management on phenotype. In this study, 107 cows and bulls of the breed Bali cattle, from Kalimantan, Sumatra, Lombok and Bali were phenotyped.

In this essay I have summarized important factors for an effective, but also successful, way to raise and house heifers. This study can be used for other dairy farms to use as guidelines in their process to raise heifers. To let outside heifer growers house, feed and have the heifers pregnant before return, can save a lot of work. But also moneywise, when the care and individual programs makes them strong and increases the growth.The result is a faster breeding and an earlier time for their first calving.In Sweden the heifers tend to be older if you compare with Denmark or United States where the custom heifer raising is well known and growing. One reason can be the Swedish laws regarding outside grassing for all cows during the summer months.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to give an overview of the evidence for genomic imprinting in livestock and other mammals as well as outline the potential use of gene imprinting in livestock breeding. Epigenetics is the mitotical and meiotical partial hereditary variation in genomic activity without any alterations of the DNA sequence. An example of epigenetic regulation is genomic imprinting where one allele?s expression differs depending on which parent it was inherited from. These parent-of-origin effects are currently overlooked in livestock production.