Genetics Guide
Every animal in Realistic Livestock RM is born with a unique set of genetic traits that affect its production, value, health, and appetite. Understanding genetics is key to building a profitable herd through selective breeding.
Note: This documentation was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. If you spot an error, please open an issue.
The Five Traits
| Trait | In-Game Label | Affects | Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | Health | Disease resistance, longevity | All animals |
| Fertility | Fertility | Breeding success rate | All animals |
| Productivity | Milk / Wool / Eggs | Production output amount | Cows, Sheep, Goats, Chickens |
| Quality | Meat | Sell price and meat value | All animals |
| Metabolism | Metabolism | Food consumption and weight gain | All animals |
Productivity is species-specific: it shows as "Milk" for cows, "Wool" for sheep, and "Eggs" for chickens. Pigs and horses don't have this trait - they have no special production output.
Metabolism is double-edged: high metabolism means faster weight gain but also higher food costs. Low metabolism means cheaper to feed but slower growth.
Rating Scale
Each trait is displayed in-game with a rating and colour:
| Rating | Colour | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely High | Green | Rare (~5%) |
| Very High | Light Green | Uncommon |
| High | Yellow-Green | Fairly common |
| Average | Yellow | Most common (~50%) |
| Low | Orange | Fairly common |
| Very Low | Dark Orange | Uncommon |
| Extremely Low | Red | Rare (~5%) |
The overall genetics rating uses Good/Bad labels instead of High/Low, calculated from the average of all traits.
Special Case: Fertility
Fertility has one additional rating:
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Infertile | Animal can never breed (extremely rare - about 1 in 1,000) |
Infertile animals can still produce milk/wool/eggs - they just can't reproduce.
What Each Trait Does
Health
- Affects how quickly health recovers or deteriorates
- Higher health genetics = more resistant to disease effects
- Animals below 80% health face monthly death risk - good health genetics help stay above this threshold
- Impact: Survival and longevity
Fertility
- Directly affects the chance of successful breeding
- Higher fertility = more likely to produce offspring each breeding cycle
- Extremely rare chance of being born completely infertile (about 1 in 1,000)
- Impact: Breeding success rate
Productivity - Cows, Sheep, Goats, Chickens
- Directly scales production output (milk, wool, eggs, goat milk)
- An animal with Extremely High productivity produces many times more than one with Extremely Low
- The large production ranges shown in each factsheet are primarily driven by this trait
- Impact: The single biggest factor in milk, wool, and egg output
Pigs and horses don't have productivity - they have no special production output.
Quality / Meat
- Directly affects sell price
- Higher quality = better meat value = higher sell price
- Impact: All animals sell for more or less based on this trait
Metabolism
- Affects both food consumption and weight gain
- Double-edged trait:
- High metabolism: Eats significantly more, grows faster, reaches target weight sooner
- Low metabolism: Eats much less, grows slower, cheaper to maintain long-term
- The large food consumption ranges shown in each factsheet are primarily driven by this trait
- Impact: Determines how expensive an animal is to feed
Distribution
Most animals are average. The distribution follows a bell curve:
| Category | Approximate Chance |
|---|---|
| Bottom tier (Extremely Low) | ~5% |
| Below average (Low to Very Low) | ~20% |
| Average | ~50% |
| Above average (High to Very High) | ~20% |
| Top tier (Extremely High) | ~5% |
Each trait is rolled independently. An animal can have excellent health but terrible productivity.
Dealer Animals
Animals purchased from the dealer have randomised genetics. Most will be average, but you might occasionally find an exceptional animal - or a terrible one. Check genetics before buying when possible.
Breeding & Inheritance
Offspring inherit traits from both parents. While the exact inheritance mechanism depends on both parent values, selective breeding works:
- Breeding two high-productivity cows tends to produce higher-productivity calves
- Breeding two animals with poor genetics risks passing those traits on
- Over multiple generations, focused selection can significantly improve your herd's average genetics
Breeding Strategy
- Identify your goals: Milk production? Sell value? Low feed cost?
- Check genetics on all animals before breeding
- Keep the best: Animals with High or Very High in your target trait
- Sell the rest: Animals with Low or worse in key traits
- Be patient: Genetic improvement takes multiple generations
The CVM Dilemma
CVM (Complex Vertebral Malformation) is a genetic disease unique to cattle. It follows recessive inheritance:
| Parent Combination | Offspring |
|---|---|
| Non-carrier × Non-carrier | All non-carrier |
| Carrier × Non-carrier | 50% carrier, 50% non-carrier |
| Carrier × Carrier | ~25% affected (almost always fatal), 50% carrier, 25% non-carrier |
The Trade-Off
CVM carrier cows produce substantially more milk than normal. This makes them extremely valuable for dairy operations - but breeding two carriers together risks producing affected calves that will almost certainly die.
| Strategy | Benefit | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Keep carriers, breed with non-carriers | Much more milk, no affected calves | 50% of offspring are still carriers |
| Breed carriers together | Maximum milk potential | ~25% of calves die |
| Remove all carriers | No CVM risk | Lose the milk bonus |
Identifying carriers: CVM shows in the animal's disease panel. Carriers show as having CVM but remain healthy and productive. Affected animals are the ones that die.
Dealer animals: There's a small chance (about 1 in 200) of any cow purchased from the dealer being a CVM carrier. Check new purchases!
Overall Genetics Rating
The game displays an "Overall" genetics rating that combines all traits:
| Overall Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Extremely Good | Top-tier animal across all traits |
| Very Good | Above average in most traits |
| Good | Slightly above average overall |
| Average | Normal animal |
| Bad | Below average in several traits |
| Very Bad | Poor in most traits |
| Extremely Bad | Bottom-tier across all traits |
The overall rating is calculated from the average of all applicable traits. Use it as a quick quality indicator, but check individual traits for specific breeding decisions.