Animal Sciences Commons^™

Managing The Risk Of Comparing Estimated Breeding Values Across Flocks Or Herds Through Connectedness: A Review And Application, L. A. Kuehn, Ronald M. Lewis, D. R. Notter

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Comparing predicted breeding values (BV) among animals in different management units (e.g. flocks, herds) is challenging if units have different genetic means. Unbiased estimates of differences in BV may be obtained by assigning base animals to genetic groups according to their unit of origin, but units must be connected to estimate group effects. If many small groups exist, error of BV prediction may be increased. Alternatively, genetic groups can be excluded from the statistical model, which may bias BV predictions. If adequate genetic connections exist among units, bias is reduced. Several measures of connectedness have been proposed, but their relationships …