The poultry and dairy industries have made the best use of sophisticated genetic information, which is also widely available in the beef cattle industry. The swine industry initiated a national genetic evaluation system to evaluate maternal sow lines in 1997-a follow-up to the 1995 terminal sire line genetic evaluation program. The sheep industry genetic evaluation programs have been most extensive in Australia and New Zealand, with a focus on wool traits such as fiber diameter and fleece weight. Genetic prediction estimates for equines have received more attention in Europe than in the United States.