A note on line breeding...

Most concerns with inbreeding exist because of the social norms with people. Since this does not apply to the rat world, looking at it from a genetic standpoint is what one must do. Genes that are carried can be recessive, and may not be apparent. But, with carefully planned breeding between siblings can reveal them. Perhaps an even greater advantage of such a breeding can be the discovery of deformations or disorders within a line before it produces several generations. Line breeding also helps to maintain ideal traits, like a particular color or type that one wishes to strengthen. In general, sibling or parent/offspring breeding should not be practiced unless the breeder is cautious and experienced, and only for the purpose of things like those mentioned above. The idea is that once lines are secured and/or deemed healthy, outcrossing is done to keep the gene pool diverse and strong!