A TWO-STAGE PROCEDURE FOR THE EVALUATION AND RANKING OF ANIMALS USING SELECTION INDICES AND THE GENERALIZED INDEX OF QUALITY

Abstract

Successful breeding work should be based on an effective evaluation of animals. Such
an evaluation involves the simultaneous analysis of several economically useful traits.
Therefore, it is necessary to use comprehensive indices that will allow us such an analysis. A
the same time the volume of mathematical calculations inevitably increases. The existing
methods of evaluating several parameters are not without drawbacks. These disadvantages
include a decrease in the selection response for each character with an increase in the number
of characters in the index. It should also be taken into account that the number of errors
increases with the volume of the analyzed sample of animals. In this paper, we propose to
combine two different methods for evaluating and ranking animals. The entire evaluation
procedure is proposed to be carried out in two stages. At the first stage, the index selection
method is used. The result of this method is the formation of a more precise sample, in which
there are no animals with low values of economically useful traits. At the second stage, the
method of constructing a generalized quality index is applied. This method involves expert
evaluation. The subjectivity of the expert evaluation will allow you to focus on individual
characteristics. Thus, the "objective" method of index selection reduces the volume of the
analyzed sample, excluding animals with low indices. Further, the "subjective" method of a
generalized quality indes clarifies the evaluation of animals based on a questioning of experts.
This approach will help the breeder to choose the most optimal selection strategy.