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RANCH BREEDING PROGRAMS
Minimal Management:
A number of the Patio Ranch breeding programs are in a free-ranging environment. Minimal control is placed on breeding participants. Only selective culling of individuals displaying undesirable characteristics (e.g. regression due to old age, poor antler configuration or broken horns in the males, non-productive or post-productive females, poor physical condition, signs of disease) is practiced. Members of the herd are seldom, if ever, tagged or marked and are not kept in areas conducive to regular capture. The programs managed in this manner are axis deer, blackbuck antelope, mouflon sheep, fallow deer, eland, red deer, aoudad, 4-horn sheep and the native white-tailed deer.
Intensive Management:
The two endangered species herds on the Patio Ranch and seven other programs with rare animals are intensively managed. Only males with desired characteristics and traits are kept in the breeding areas. Any young male born to the breeding herd females is removed prior to their first birthday to prevent their participation in the breeding program. These non-breeding males, when removed from the breeding herd, are placed in a free-ranging situation with no access to the breeding environment. Genetic lines are monitored and any male or female possibly involved in the appearance of undesirable traits is removed from the program. Breeding males are replaced at planned intervals, generally with new sires unrelated to the herd. Most or all of these herds are tagged or marked for identification. The species managed in this manner are addax, Arabian oryx, barasingha deer, Manchurian sika, markhor, Nubian ibex, sitatunga, Stumberg sheep and trans-Caspian urial.
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