3.4 Data recording and management
Recording of performance data and pedigrees is
the main driving force for genetic improvement.
Abundant and accurate measurements lead to
efficient selection. In practice, however, resources
are limited. The question then is: which traits
should be measured and on which animals?
Preferably, the traits included in the breeding
objective should be measured, but this will
depend on the ease and cost of measurement.
The nucleus animals, at least, should be measured
for performance and pedigree.
The collection of performance data on which
to base selection decisions is a vital component
of any breeding programme, and it should be
regarded as such, rather than as a by-product
of recording systems primarily designed to assist
short-term management (Bichard, 2002). The task
of collecting, collating and using data in genetic
evaluation requires good organization and
considerable resources (Wickham, 2005; Olori et
al., 2005). In many instances, special schemes may
need to be put in place to generate and record
the required data. The cost and complexity of
these schemes vary depending on the type of
breeding organization, the type of traits, and the
method of testing.