You can have father-daughter matings in beef cattle, but it is not recommended. This type of breeding practice is called inbreeding or closebreeding. This breeding practice is rarely utilized today, although it was common in the foundation animals of most breeds. The reason that it is not practiced in most breeding systems today is that closebreeding greatly enhances the chances that deleterious recessive traits will appear with increased frequency. Inbreeding may also cause a reduction in growth rate, fertility, and general vigor.