A:   You can have father-daughter matings in beef cattle, but it is not recommended. This type of breeding practice is called Inbreeding or Closebreeding. Again, this breeding practice is rarely practiced today although it was common in the foundation animals of most breeds. The reason that it is not practiced in most breeding systems today is that closebreeding greatly enhances the chances that recessive genes will appear. This may include reduction in growth rate, fertility, and general vigor. Also, lethal genes and other genetic abnormalities often appear with increased frequency.

With this being said, mating half-sibs should not result in defective calves unless there are major genetic defects in both parents. Inbreeding just brings such defects to the surface faster. Generally, inbreeding does depress fitness traits such as fertility and overall performance, however at lower levels it may not even have a noticeable effect. The inbreeding coefficient of half-sib matings (assuming other ancestors are not inbred) is 12.5%. By comparison, most breeds of beef cattle in the U.S. are 8 -10% inbred. Bottom line is that the half-sib matings you are considering will probably not present problems, however further close matings might very well result in a depression of performance.