Project

Reinforcement of animal resilience

Livestock transition and breeding objectives are changing from mostly production traits to traits like resistance to infections, resilience (ability of animals to cope with short-term disturbances including those caused by pathogens) or behaviour.

Therefore, the main objective of this project is to develop necessary knowledge and tools to integrate resilience traits in selective breeding (Mission ST2). The project has the following activities:

  1. identify resilience indicators and their relation (trade-offs) with health, welfare and production traits;
  2. investigate the effects and interactions of genetics, feeding and management practices on resilience and health traits;
  3. develop new models to improve resilience and health at the population level;
  4. assess the potential of these new tools in breeding.

This project will deliver new principles to measure resilience and to incorporate this knowledge in breeding programs. In this way, the project can support the field of animal breeding, through providing insight into how resilience can be incorporated in breeding programs, and can contribute to improved animal health and welfare of different livestock species, through the expected positive effects of increased resilience in animals.

Publications