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Foundation Animal Effects
Including additive genetic group effects in BLUP animal models when producing EPDs is important when the foundation animals come from genetically different origins such as distinct breeds.[1][2] This occurs in analyses that include multiple breeds or composite breeds. Also, genetic groups should be used in BLUP models when foundation animals of the same breed enter the population at different periods of time to account for the effect of genetic trend over time. Foundation animals from distinctly different periods of time can have different genetic merit due to selection resulting in genetic trend.
All foundation animals are modeled as having the same average genetic merit when additive genetic group effects are not included. Including additive genetic groups permit the model to predict if genetic differences occured between the groups. These differences impact the descendants of the foundation animals' EPDs.
