Can 2nd cousins have children?
I googled and read some threads, but most info was from 2014 so I decided to ask in case these things were adjusted later. I understand that second cousins can marry, but some sourcessay they can ha...
Forum Discussion
First cousins can have children. Siblings can have children. Uncle-niece; father-daughter; etc.
As long as there are no genetic diseases in the family, degree of relation is actually not an issue. It is more of a social issue. Biologically-speaking, the presence of genetic diseases is the determiner. Socially-speaking, each culture has different taboo relationships.
The reason: If there is a genetically transferable disease, and we do not know whether it passes through an x or y chromosome, we assume that each child of a single-carrying parent has a 50% chance of transmitting it to their offspring. So, when you take two siblings who may be carrying it, you theoretically increase the chances of their offspring having the disease. Testing for the genes lets you tell with greater certainty.
First cousins introduces 2 fresh sets of genes into the equation, but if both of the siblings (uncles/aunts) are carriers, you have the same situation, basically, as siblings with one carrying parent. Now carry that down to second cousins. It would depend on whether your mother or father was a carrier, and whose first cousin (your mother's or father's) you are considering mating with.
The advice in rabbit breeding for real-life purposes is you can breed siblings once every 3-4 generations, but otherwise, you need fresh genes.
