Evaluation of Models for Longevity in a Closed Nucleus Breeding Programme: A Case Study Kenyan Sahiwal

Longevity and stay ability are parameters in any breeding programme. The Overstaying of any animal on a farm has got negative\r\neffects on the farmer. Short stay also means early exit of good animals that could have been used\r\nfor a longer time and more productive. The intention of this review paper is to\r\nemphasize the importance of models that an upcoming breeding program can use\r\nwithout affecting the quality of the herd. In this paper, longevity is taken purely\r\non the performance measure. The functional and type traits of longevity should\r\nbe studied further before all models are put into play. But the case of closed\r\nbreeding programmes, performance traits are easily measurable because many\r\nanimals will exit the herd as they have been sold to farmers hence many\r\nfunctional straits will be expressed outside the herd. Genetic evaluation of\r\nthe Kenyan Sahiwal should account for inbreeding. This study has also provided genetic and phenotypic parameters to\r\nenable the inclusion of longevity in the breeding objective for\r\nthe Sahiwal cattle improvement programme.