THE USE OF MS EXCEL SPREADSHEET TO CONSTRUCT A GENERALIZED INDICATOR OF THE QUALITY TRAITS OF ANIMALS

Abstract

During the selective breeding, it is often necessary to take into account the economic
values of several important traits simultaneously. The use of a generalized numerical indicator
that includes the data of all the traits used, evidently makes this work easier. There are several
well-known methods to create such generalized indicators. In the practical breeder's work, it
is assumed that in addition to objective indicators, which are based on the statistical
characteristics of the evaluated selection of animals, there is a need to take into account the
subjective opinion of specialists about individual indicators of animal units. This evaluation is
based on the working experience of the breeder. Taking this into consideration, it is
reasonable to use a generalized quality indicator on the basis of the Harrington's desirability
function. Such a generalized numerical indicator simultaneously combines objective data of
animals, which is based on the measurements of their economic traits, as well as the
subjective opinion of experts, which determines the weighting coefficients of the used traits.
This approach allows focusing on specific economic traits. All methods of generalized
numerical indicators development involve mathematical calculations of varying degrees of
complexity. For this reason, the use of computer mathematics tools is great help in such work.
The most widely used computer program is MS Excel spreadsheet. The ease of use,
intelligible interface and the abundance of educational literature have made this software
product very popular among researchers and specialists in various fields of the national
economy. This article deals with the practical aspects of using MS Excel spreadsheet to
construct a generalized quality coefficient which is based on the Harrington's desirability
function. Special attention is paid to the procedure of verifying the consensus of experts`
opinions. The article does not focus on any specific economic trait. It was intended to
emphasize the universality of the method. This material will be useful for breeders, specialists
and researchers in the field of animal husbandry.