ADGA hobbyist, seedstock and commercial breeders have an effective management tool to make selected breeding decisions. A performance pedigree summarizes an animal's individual performance records as well as records of direct ancestors for 3, 4 or 5 generations. Performance pedigrees bring traditional ancestral pedigrees to life by presenting useful data in a logical layout.

ADGA uses a unique format for its performance pedigrees and its advantage is that it expands on the registration certificate information and provides a detailed summary of the performance of the animal. The information contained in the pedigrees is similar across breeds. The performance pedigree lists at a minimum, a three-generation pedigree including the animal's sire and dam and complete pedigree information for parents and grandparents. Other information listed includes the animal's name, breeder, sex, date of birth, and registration number.

This Association accumulates thousands of performance records from breeders across the country in both type and yield. The USDA-AIPL July 2005 genetic evaluation for yield contained 10,332 buck records and 230,029 doe records. This evaluation and the December type evaluation calculate the genetic merit of animals represented in each breed. This huge amount of information coupled with our database and ability to retrieve this statistical technology enables our Association to produce performance pedigrees for every animal in all established breeds and is accumulating data to do the same for our newest breeds.

Performance pedigrees are particularly meaningful because of a concept known as predicted transmitting abilities or PTA. A PTA is used to express the genetic transmitting ability of an animal and is a measure of the genetic value (superiority) of an animal as well as an indication of the amount of genetic merit that the animal will pass to its offspring.

PTAs are reported by each breed association as a plus or minus value in units consistent with the trait measured, such as pounds for milk production. For example, a buck with a PTA for milk of +250.0 lb would produce progeny that should average 250 lbs. more milk than progeny of a buck with a PTA for milk of 0 lbs. PTA for final score type is expressed generally on a scale of -3 to +3 standard deviations with "zero" being the average.

PTIs are a Production Type index to compare and rank animals within an individual breed. PTIs can be used to compare any animals within a breed but can not be used to compare animals across breeds.

ETAs are a ranking of the estimate of the transmitting ability for young non-parent animals with no individual performance measures, and are calculated solely on the performance of their ancestors. However, as individual and progeny performance records become available, this changes so that the pedigree reflects more of the animal's own performance and the performance of its progeny, rather than its ancestors.

Performance pedigrees are a dynamic document in that all animals are re-evaluated twice annually as more yield and type records are added to the breed performance data base, changing PTA, ETA and PTI scores.

The amount of information used in the estimation of a PTA is reflected in the reliability (REL) value for the trait. As more information becomes available, the accuracy will increase and the relationship between the information and the animal's true genetic merit becomes stronger. As would be expected, the REL values for nonparent animals are lower because fewer records are available for use in genetic evaluation.

Supplementary data provided in the performance pedigree comes from the additional information such as DHIR information in the form of individual and lifetime lactation records, the *B, *M, +B awards and SHOW information (CH, GCH, National Show Wins), as well as enhancements that will become available later in the year. Information that we anticipate adding will be whether the animal has a DNA profile on file, Elite status as to production, and Breed Leader status.

Performance pedigrees enable the breeder to consistently identify and incorporate genetically superior animals into the herd. Performance pedigrees provide producers with up to date, accurate, and reliable information on which to base selection decisions in order to assist in breeding uniform consistently superior animals.

*B   Stars on bucks are earned by virtue of parents with production records meeting ADGA minimums

+B   Plusses on bucks are earned by virtue of offspring meeting ADGA requirements

ST   STar Volume - meeting minimum requirements from one-day tests, or on the basis of pedigree or progeny

AR   Advanced Registry Volume - meeting minimum requirements through Dairy Herd Improvement programs

2*M   Two Star Milker - Second successive generation of a doe line that has earned a star based on minimums set forth by ADGA

Performance Volumes   - numbered volumes prior to 2005 in consecutive year order. After 2005, date is used.

Linear Appraisal Score (LA - prior to 1989, "CL" for the Classification system was used)

Age(yr/mo)	Final Score	General Appearance	Dairy Character	Body Capacity	Mammary
5-04	91	V	E	E	E
(E) Excellent	(V) Very Good	(+) Good Plus	(G) Good	(F) Fair	(P) Poor

D(airy) H(erd) I(mprovement) R(egistry) - National milk and component recording program for use by USDA, ADGA, and herdowners

Age	Times Milking	Days in Milk	Milk Lbs.	% Butterfat	Lbs. BF	% Protein	Lbs. PRT	Verified
5-00	2	259	2880	3.1	89	2.8	82	v

CH(ampion) -Show Wins GCH - G(rand) CH(ampion)
     Show wins and a milk star earned from Advanced Registry or Star Volume minimums

SG -S(uperior) G(enetics) SGC - S(upreme) G(rand)C(hampion) - SG plus being a GCH

Superior Genetics designation based on being in the top 15% of its breed in one or both PTI indices.

PTA   Predicted Transmitting Ability - Computed by USDA AIPL, incorporating data from production and type data of the doe, ancestors, collateral relatives and progeny. The first three numbers are the estimates of the pounds of milk to expect from each lactation of a parents' future daughter when compared to a herdmate of breed average genetic merit. The last is the PTA of change to the Type score. PTA expresses the level of genetic superiority that an animal transmits to its offspring for a given production or type trait. This value is used to provide their genetic merit.
137M(ilk)    2F(at)    4P(rotein)    .90T(ype)



DEV   Standard Deviation that can be expected in pounds.
937 (Milk)   -17 (Fat)   32 (Protein)

PTA$   P(redicted) T(ransmitting) A(bility) $(dollars) is an economic index that combines relative values of milk and components.   Estimates the extra income a dairyman would receive in each lactation based on values supplied by USDA for fat and protein differentials.   The first number is fat; the second is protein.
15    13    32R(eliabity) in % - Reliability measures confidence in the PTA Values - 99 is highest.
An animal's reliability is based on the information available in the evaluation. The R in this area is for Type.

PTA% P(redicted) T(ransmitting) A(bility) %(percentage). Milk fat (.07) and milk protein (.04).
Dates are of last calculations; the first is production and the second is type.

44R(eliability) 6/99 .07 .04 1/01 The R is this line is for Production.

D/AV D(aughter) AV(erages)

Milk	Fat	Protein	Final Score
2380	95	74	87

PTI P(roduction) T(ype) I(ndexes) - genetic indexes that combine production and type genetic evaluations into one score. First number emphasizes production over type and second emphasizes type. Zero would be no change.
133   (2:1)   134   (1:2)

ETA E(stimated) T(ransmitting) A(bility) - Estimate of a buck's future PTA's for production and type.  Production is first; type is second. Zero is no change.
19 (Production) -29 (Type)

Lisa Shepard
ADGA Performance Programs Coordinator