By which method was a new breed 'Hisardale' of sheep formed by using Bikaneri ewes and Marino rams ?

Answer: 3. Cross breeding

Hisardale is a product of cross breeding, in which superior males of one breed are mated with superior females of another breed.

Here Bikaneri ewes (a good-quality coarse-wool breed) were mated with Marino rams (fine wool breed). The offspring combined the desired traits and were selected to form the new breed Hisardale, developed in Punjab.

• Out crossing: mating of animals of the same breed but with no common ancestor for 4-6 generations.
• Mutational breeding and inbreeding do not involve mating two different breeds.