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PRODUCTION RECORDS
Logix Game: A structured
recording system for wildlife
ranching in South Africa
By Dr Japie van der Westhuizen, South African Stud Book and Animal Improvement Association
South Africa has a rich history of
animal recording. The focus has
mainly been on the recording
of so-called farm animals (livestock)
and was initially aimed
at the keeping of stud books for different
breeds. The South African Stud Book
and Animal Improvement Association was
founded by a group of stud breeders in
1905 for this purpose.
From the onset the independence of
the individual breeders’ societies or groups
(in terms of their respective constitutions)
was recognised, but SA Stud Book is being
tasked to oversee the recording of ownership,
keepers and particulars of the animals
of their members and to also see to it that
the particular constitutions are being adhered
to. As a private, non-profit association,
SA Stud Book belongs to its members,
the breeders’ societies (or groups). Effectively
the members have direct decision
powers in the services, budget and fees.
SA Stud Book is registered as a registering
authority under the Animal Improvement
Act (Act 62 of 1998). A total of 63 registered
animal breeders’ societies are members of
SA Stud Book, plus an additional 25 direct
entry breeds (breeds without a society), all
making use of the services rendered by
SA Stud Book.
Why record?
Not only due to the commercialisation of
wildlife, but also for many other important
reasons, the recording of individual animals,
ownership (and locality), pedigree (if
known), physical characteristics, measurements
or scored traits, animal events (such
as births, time and locality of handling,
blood, tissue or semen samples, DNA evaluation,
measurements and weights, transfers
Figure 1: Pathways for data submission, uptake, calculation and reporting for wildlife.
of ownerships, matings, etc.) and other species-specific
needs, are all main considerations
for any commercial enterprise. This is
therefore as important for game management
as for breeding or farming with any
other farm animal.
The mere recording of lineage (parentage
linked to origin) and ownership (also locality)
have many advantages, namely:
• Calculation of species (breed) structures
where prominence and influence
of breeders, lines and origins can be
quantified.
• General demographics can be quantified.
• Bottlenecks in the breeding structure
can be identified and addressed.
• Average and specific genetic relationships
can be calculated and used for
inbreeding calculations and the prevention
of matings that can lead to
inbreeding depression.
The real advantages, however, are to extend
recording functions to include additional
information of economic value that
will be beneficial to wildlife ranchers, can
contribute to identifying superior breeding
stock and can assist in research and a wider
understanding of the particular species.
For this purpose recordings on Logix, a centralised
generally accessible database, is
essential as each animal’s particulars with
regards to the following will be known and
can be used in a wider context of actions
related to profit:
• Any event of significance in the animal’s
life, such as:
Issue 35 ▪ July 2013
43