Frequently Asked Questions - Animals



Q: Which animal species are not contained in the Animal GRFA inventory?

A: This inventory currently excludes deer, game and camelids, but could be expanded to include these at a later date.

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Q: What is an animal breed?

A: With a relatively small number of farm animal species, the development of animal genetic resources has historically beeen focussed on developing new breeds within species. A breed is a race or variety of animals, perpetuating its special or distinctive characteristics by inheritance. Animal breeds are man-made and they have been created and lost, over millennia. There is no concise definition, but in the UK a breed is generally recognised by a package of performance and adaptive fitness characteristics, with a largely uniform appearance.

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