Christopher is a Fish Breeder from Norway, but shares valuable lessons for all types of breeders
In this episode, we are talking with a fish breeder. What’s interesting here is that he uses the same breeding methods as chicken breeders. He has a wonderful understanding of genetics, and many of his goals are the same as ours. There is a lot all of us can learn from this interview.
Christopher Froeiland is one of our members of the Breeders Academy, and a fish breeder from Norway. He’s not a chicken breeder. Although most of my members are chicken breeders, I have a turkey breeder, quail breeder, duck breeder, sheep breeder, dog breeder, and now a fish breeder. In fact, Christopher breeds Guppies.
Although the breeds and species may be different, and the traits we select are different, breeding is breeding. The breeding methods and programs are the same. My breeding programs, especially the Founders Program, are good for most types of animal breeding. I’m always amazed at how many different types of breeders are using my Founders Program.
Christopher sent me some fish breeding links, and I was amazed how similar they were to chicken breeding. They use many of the same methods. And they are very knowledgable about genetics. They have a wonderful understand about genetics, and what a great tool genetics is to the creating and improvement of their strains.
In this episode, we will discuss and great number of important topics
related to breeding and creating a strain:
- Christopher shares with us why he decided to breed guppies, and what lead to his decision to create his own strain of guppies.
- Why fish breeding and chicken breeding are not that much different.
- We talk about the plasticity of breeding, and the ability of the breeder to sculpt and mold them into what we want.
- We discuss important evolutionary forces, known as the Founders Effect and Genetic Drift, and how it relates to Selective Breeding.
- Why reducing genetic diversity through smaller populations is so important when creating or improving a strain.
- How to use meiosis and the effects of crossover to your advantage, and how it relates to the expression of mutations.
- And why he avoids traits that are incomplete dominant.
- How to deal with traits that are polygenic, while improving the phenotype.
- We talk about how to deal with traits that sexually dimorphic.
- Why it’s important that the breeder always look for methods that best simulate Mother Nature.
- The difference between Inbreeding and Line-breeding, and clearing up some of the terminology.
- The difference between line-breeding and backcrossing, and why both are important.
- Christopher talks about his selection process.
- We also talk about the importance using sub-lines.
- The problems associated with crossbreeding and outcrossing. And why hybrid vigor has its limits.
- When is it time to using crossbreeding for your benefit?
- Why knowing genetics is great for predicting your results, and for knowing why some traits are expresses and others are not.
- Why it’s so satisfying to create your own strain.
If you would like to take a sneak peek at Christopher’s fish project “Facebook” page: https://www.facebook.com/opalguppy/
Link to a couple of good publications on academia in case you would be interested in taking a look: https://www.academia.edu/5545578/BREEDING_STRATEGIES_and_GENETIC_CONSEQUENCES_IN_GUPPIES
https://www.academia.edu/5545575/BREEDING_STRATEGIES_and_GENETIC_MANIPULATION_IN_GUPPIES
Here’s a link to the Norwegian Jaer chickens by the Norwegian standard bred chicken association. https://nrff.no/jaerhons/jærhøns
