Introduction

• Animal breeding aims at the improvement of animals by changing their genetic abilities for important traits.
• These traits are determined by the requirements and wishes of the society which might change
• over time.
• Animal breeding is highly influenced by research and developments in population-, quantitative- and molecular genetics.
• Sometimes, unexpected negative effects of animal breeding are observed that require adequate corrections.
• A breeding program will be presented here as a circular activity.
• For each generation, the program starts with formulating the breeding goal and ends with a critical review of the results obtained in the next generation.
• The evaluation might lead to a reconsideration of the breeding goal for the next round of selection.