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Assuming no previous knowledge, the book uses a game of cards to visualise the rules that govern colour genetics, introducing terminology on the way. What are genes and alleles? What is the phenotype of a sheep? What the genotype? The reader is introduced to agouti-pattern, base colour, and spotting and strategies are shown to identifiy them in the reader's own flock. This knowledge is expanded to show how it can be used to plan breeding for certain colours. More genes that influence colour are introduced later in the book and thought is given to preserving diversity within a breed while strategically increasing the presence of desirable traits in a flock.
The book focuses on practical aspects. How to identify genotypes? Which animals should be used for test breeding? How can the knowledge be used for individual goals?
Written by a molecular biologist and science communicator and co-written by a professional editor of scientific textbooks - both of them breeders of coloured sheep - this book uses an easily understandable approach to explaining colour genetics.
Coloured Sheep: a colour genetics primer
Irina Böhme, Saskia Dittgen
ISBN 978-3-9820761-0-2
Coloured Sheep: a colour genetics primer
Some skill, some luck and lots of fun: sheep colour genetics is like a game of cards! This book explains the rules of the game.
Assuming no previous knowledge, the book uses a game of cards to visualise the rules that govern colour genetics, introducing terminology on the way. What are genes and alleles? What is the phenotype of a sheep? What the genotype? The reader is introduced to agouti-pattern, base colour, and spotting and strategies are shown to identifiy them in the reader's own flock. This knowledge is expanded to show how it can be used to plan breeding for certain colours. More genes that influence colour are introduced later in the book and thought is given to preserving diversity within a breed while strategically increasing the presence of desirable traits in a flock.
The book focuses on practical aspects. How to identify genotypes? Which animals should be used for test breeding? How can the knowledge be used for individual goals?
Written by a molecular biologist and science communicator and co-written by a professional editor of scientific textbooks - both of them breeders of coloured sheep - this book uses an easily understandable approach to explaining colour genetics.
Coloured Sheep: a colour genetics primer
Irina Böhme, Saskia Dittgen
ISBN 978-3-9820761-0-2
Hello! I am a shepherd raising mixed breed coloured sheep in Maryland, USA at Shepherd's Hey Farm (www.facebook.com/shepherdsheyfarm). I have purchased your book and it is wonderful! Clear, straight forward and provides a very helpful approach to much better understanding our flock's colour genetics. I have many generations of phenotype data and look forward to gaining more predictive understanding. Thank you for writing this book! I would like to download and print a set of the cards on stronger paper, but I can not find the file to download. Can you direct me so that I can download the file? Thank you in advance!
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