AGB 211: Livestock and Poultry Breeding (2+1)

PROGENY TESTING

• Sustained genetic improvement can be achieved only through continuous use of bulls of high genetic merit evaluated through progeny testing. Progeny testing is the estimation of breeding value of bulls by studying the average performance of a number of its daughters. It has been established that in a well run progeny testing programme the annual genetic gain is around one per cent. Progeny testing is expensive and time consuming but, at the same time it is the most accurate method for estimating the breeding value of the bull, which is half the herd.