Cross breeding is the breeding of unrelated animals, which may be between individual of same breed or between different breeds of different species. This is done to produce offspring with improved characteristics or traits.

Benefits of Cross Breeding:

1. Increased genetic diversity: Cross breeding helps to increase genetic diversity, which can help to reduce the occurrence of genetic defects and improve the overall health of the offspring.

2. Improved traits: Cross breeding can help to improve traits such as growth rate, milk production, and disease resistance.

3. Hybrid vigor: Cross breeding can produce offspring with hybrid vigor, which is the increased growth, health, and survival of the offspring as compared to the parents.

Methods of Cross Breeding:

1. Interspecific Hybridization: This involves the breeding of two different species to produce a hybrid offspring. For example, a mule is produced by breeding a donkey and a horse.

2. Interbreeding: This involves the breeding of two different breeds of the same species. For example, crossing a Holstein cow with a Jersey bull to produce a hybrid offspring.

3. Outbreeding: This involves the breeding of unrelated animals of the same breed. For example, breeding two unrelated Labrador Retrievers to produce a hybrid offspring.

4. Crossbreeding: This involves the breeding of animals from different breeds to produce a hybrid offspring. For example, crossing a Hereford cow with an Angus bull to produce a hybrid calf.

In conclusion, cross breeding is an important tool in animal husbandry to improve the genetic diversity, traits, and overall health of the offspring. It is important to carefully select the animals for cross breeding to ensure that the desired traits are passed on to the offspring.