When animals are selected from farmers’ herds, ideally farmers involved in the selection programme will have several cows, so that animals can be compared both within and across herds. When purchasing bull calves or females for future bulls, AI service providers have to consider the production and reproduction records, general appearance, breed makeup and pedigree performance of the cow. The most accurate way to select the best cows will be to perform a statistical analysis to obtain a genetic evaluation. Many factors other than genetics will affect an animal’s production. Among these factors are herd management, age, and time.
