Career Opportunities
Career Opportunities
Animal agriculture is a vital part of the world's total agricultural business and economy. It enables the conversion of grasses and other high fiber products into nutritous food for our growing world population. These products would be difficult for man to use efficiently in any other way. It helps maintain soil fertility, provides diversification, recreation, opportunities for profit as well as a better fed population. ANimal agriculture is economically important for today's and tomorrow's world.
Many different species, breeds and crosses make up the total animal agriculture population. The key to the livestock industry's various breeding systems and a highly efficient total animal agriculture is the pruebred pedigreed segment. Number wise, the purebred livestock population is a minority group but it is a majority group in terms of influence.
Purebreds are the foundation of all breeding systems. They are like a bank - a genetic bank holding the genetic materials man has and is developing. From this bank he can draw to improve, to change course, to correct problems and create new combinations of genetic materials for continued improvement.
Because of what we call hybrid vigor, some crosses may out-perform individual purebreds. It is what they contribute to the cross that is important. Some purebreds do perform well or better than many crossbreds, but without this genetic pool of purebreds, it would not be possible to have crossbreds.
Becoming a seedtock breeder is comparable to becoming a master builder, painter, mechanic, or politician. Just picture yourself taking living, growing organisms and though planned matings, testing and observation, selection and culling, developing a record breaking performer, a champion, a winner, a breed builder or a best seller. That is an achievement. Very few vocations offer a challenge equal to that of the breeding purebred livestock business. That's opportunity.