Möjligheter och problem med organiserat avelsarbete inom renskötseln

• Main Author: Andersson, Emelie
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: Swedish; English
• Published: SLU/Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics 2009
• Subjects: Ren; Avel; Renskötsel; Avelsarbete; Slaughter; reindeer husbandry; sami; ren
• Online Access: https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/253/

The reindeer are kept in extensive pasture systems where the conditions are similar to those for wild reindeer. Since the reindeer have special demands on their pasture, it is difficult to keep them in intensive production systems where they cannot graze selectively. Too many reindeer on a small area will also facilitate spread of diseases. A selection program for reindeer needs special qualifications according to several different reasons. The purpose with this literature review is to summarize the factors needed for a reindeer selection program and the problems and possibilities included. Reindeer grazing right has a special meaning to the Sami and are reserved for them according to immemorial rights. Reindeer husbandry cannot be directly compared to the intensive systems of other meat producing animals and there are some additional factors to keep in mind when making a selection program for reindeer. The most important factors are the use of pasture (number of reindeer per area), herd structure (regulated by slaughter) and the genetic progress of each individual, which can be increased by selection. The genetic progress can not be maximized in a reindeer population in practice; predators, food resources and changes in climate and environment from one year to another will slow down the progress. It is important to let the reindeer husbandry remain a Sami right to keep their culture and language. At the same time modern tools to improve production and genetic progress in the herds should be used to keep the possibility to make a living on reindeer husbandry.