Breed

See Breed (song) for the song by Nirvana. See Breed (video game) for the video game by Brat Designs.

A breed is a homogeneous group of animals within a species that have been deliberately selected and developed by humans for their similar appearance. For a type to be recognised as a breed, there should be a viable true-breeding population. The term may also be used as a verb, meaning action intended to produce offspring. The breeder makes it his or her trade to engage in plant breeding and the maintenance and creation of breeds of animals suitable for domestication.

A breed should also be distinguished from a strain, which is simply the descendants of a single significant individual, and which in domesticated animals is also known as a bloodline. A strain may not remain entirely within a breed, nor is a breed necessarily composed of a single strain.

Common animal breeds

• List of cat breeds
• List of breeds of cattle
• List of chicken breeds
• List of dog breeds
• List of horse breeds
• List of rabbit breeds
• List of pigeon breeds
• Domestic pig#Breeds of pigs
• List of sheep breeds

See also

• Cultivar
• Landrace
• Purebred
• Race (biology)
• Selective breeding
• Subspecies
• Variety (plant)

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