Arca de Noé

nataligata Escreveu: Ola!
Nao qualquer problema acasalarem entre irmaos ou pais.
Neste momento, tenho 4 gerbos os outros restantes ja os vendi pois nao tinha condiçoes para ter tantos gerbos!
Eles sao amorosos e tao energeticos k da gosto ve-los. Omais curioso e k dois nasceram branquinhos e de olhos vermelhos....
Seram mais especiais por isso?

Can I breed related gerbils? I've heard inbreeding is a bad thing and causes deformities.
Inbreeding can be a very contreversial topic, and it is true that too much inbreeding has caused some problems in other domestic animals, notably dogs and cats. However, one important thing to remember is inbreeding does NOT create genetics defects and outcrossing does NOT erase them. The genes are still there. The only thing that inbreeding does is increase the likelihood that both parents will carry the gene, and outcrossing decreases the chances. This is why many people make a policy of never breeding any animals, outcrossed or not, that have shown or are related to an animal that has shown a genetic problem.

On the negative side, it means you can selectively breed an animal for a trait that will eventually cause the animal problems. Large dogs or working dogs, for example, often have hip dysplasia. Certain breeds of cats, because people liked the flat-nosed look, now have breathing difficulties and problems with the tear ducts in the eyes because the breeders didn't foresee the consequences of breeding for such flat noses. On the positive side, selective and careful inbreeding can help you "set" a trait, like an unusual coat color or pattern, or to develop a trait more fully, like a longer-haired animal.

So, in a practical sense, what does all this mean for gerbil breeders? Rodents in general tend to be resistant to defects showing up from inbreeding. They aren't immune, however, and there are several traits that have shown up that may be related to extensive inbreeding. So, there are some basic rules to follow when doing any sort of inbreeding. The first rule of any sort of breeding is to breed ONLY healthy animals. Even if it's an unusual color, you don't want to breed an animal with a congenital balance problem or a kinked over tail. This also goes for animals that have thrown several defective litters -- have the male neutered or seperate the pair and stop breeding them. Also, try to limit your inbreeding and line breeding to a maximum of four generations before outcrossing for some fresh genes. For most casual breeders, probably most of the advice you'll need is as long as the parents aren't closely related and are healthy, you can breed a pair of siblings together without much chance of ill effects.