“You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” – Lee Iacocca

Pedigree International (PI) is a firm believer in continuing to move the Savanna breed forward through data, in close conjunction with strict adherence to breed standards. PI feels that the Savanna breed has a great opportunity to become the goat industry leader in data backed performance breeding stock. Using a process similar to that used by nearly all other livestock species to aid in genetic selection, PI is promoting the use of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs).

EBVs are science-based, industry-tested measurements of heritable traits that can be tracked and measured. For those familiar with Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) used in cattle, EBVs are very similar. EBVs use on-farm data to calculate performance of the individual animal, related animals in the same flock, and related animals in other flocks.

Through the use of Estimated Breeding Values, or EBVs, purebred and seedstock producers can identify genetics that excel in their flocks and greatly accelerate genetic progress within the breed. These include maternal traits, number of kids born and weaned; birth, weaning, post-weaning and yearling weights; as well as parasite resistance and carcass traits like loin eye depth.

In partnership with the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP), (and yes, they do goats as well), PI is starting a ‘Proven Performance Program’ This will be a designation breeders can use in their marketing, similar to the DNA Verified Herd program currently offered by PI.

Minimum requirements to qualify as a Proven Performance Program herd or animal. This is an annual re-certification. I.e. you can lose your certification as a Proven Performance herd if your herd does not continue to meet these requirements annually.

1. Your entire fullblood doe herd enrolled in the NSIP program. While you can submit cross bred animals and still get value from that, the system cannot currently accurately account and isolate performance as it relates to heterosis (hybrid vigor). Thus, it is encouraged that only fullblood animals are enrolled.
2. Submissions of data on at least 20 kids per kidding into the NSIP program. Herds unable to submit this quantity of kids will not be eligible for the designation. The reasoning for this is statistics and data quality. Insufficient quantity will not allow for enough comparisons across genetic lines to give accurate and statistically significant data. Thus, at the recommendation of NSIP, we set a minimum threshold of 20 kids. Note that for most herds, the number of kids submitted will be greater than the minimum requirement as the entire fullblood kid crop should be submitted.
3. Submit data for at minimum the following items:
   1. Birthweight and date
   2. Wean weight (between 60 -120 day age) and date for the full kid crop
   3. Litter size
   4. Post wean weights for registerable animals (160-200 day age). This requirement is excluded for animals previously culled, sold unregistered etc.
      While these are the minimum requirements, it is encouraged to continue to also gather and submit other data for animals, including but not limited to, fecal egg counts, scrotal measurements, and yearling weights.