A few words on selection...

First, a disclaimer:  I am not a historian, nor a geneticist, nor anything scientific really.  So, if any of this is absolutely wrong, I'd like to know.

For a very long time now, mankind has been selecting desirable traits in animals and plants.  Even the very process of domesticating animals in the beginning involved a selection of traits and an encouragement of those traits in offspring.  Think of all the different breeds of dogs which exist in our world today.  Some of them are pointers, some are guardians, and some are just companions.  Each of these breeds developed through the intervention of mankind.  And I'd like to say that I think this was a good thing.

But, we live in a very different world today.  It probably has something to do with the industrial revolution, but the process of selection in livestock and agriculture is largely guided by the ability to make a profit.  I understand that there is a demand for food and it is favorable to grow plants and animals which produce large quantities with limited space.  However, I believe less and less people are gardening, more and more people are grocery shopping, and that many breeds of plants and livestock are in danger of losing out to the agricultural industrial machine.  And I'd like to say that I think this is a terrible thing.

The process of selection can cause a breed to become genetically weaker.  Think of how many specific breeds of dogs have specific health issues.  Someday, I want to have an Irish Wolfhound.  These are mighty, awesome, majestic dogs.  Unfortunately, they only live to be 8 to 10 years old and have serious health problems near the end of their life.  All of my life, I've had mutts and alley cats.  They lived long happy lives, mostly free of serious health issues.  A documentary on Netflix titled "More Than Honey" looks into the decline of the modern honeybee, something scientists have no answer for yet, and poses the theory that perhaps they are just weak and unstable because they have been domesticated and bred so specifically.  One of the guys who speaks on the documentary looks at the Africanized honeybee (aka. The Killer Bee) and sees hope for the future of the honeybee.  The introduction of new genetic material has strengthened that breed of honeybee.  Another example of how selection can endanger a breed is the Manx cat.  The desired characteristic for this breed is to have no tail.  So, you breed a Manx with no tail to a Manx with no tail.  Then you select the offspring with no tails and breed them to other Manx cats with no tails.  Unfortunately, if you do this for three generations, the offspring die.  Every so often, you have to have a Manx with a tail or else the breed will disappear.

I guess the point I am trying to make is this:  Genetic diversity is an important thing.  And I'm glad to have come across groups like the Seed Savers Exchange who focus on finding and maintaining and passing on many different "heirloom" plant varieties.  However, their work doesn't stop their.  Their farm, Heritage Farm, has also become on of two major breeding sites for Ancient White Park Cattle in the United States.  This is what they wrote about the issue in their seed catalog this year:

"As with seed diversity, livestock diversity has dramatically declined.  Heritage breeds are threatened because modern food production now favors the use of a few highly specialized breeds selected for maximum output in a controlled environment.  Many traditional livestock breeds are threatened with extinction.  These traditional breeds are an essential part of the American agricultural inheritance and an important resource for our future."

With some of the same philosophies as motivation, I've decided to order ten Ancona ducks this summer.  If it goes well, I would like to increase my flock and play a part in the recovery of this duck breed.  I'll write more on that later.

Always Hope and Never Die
John Anthony