Requirements/Precautions to be taken for progeny testing

1. Females mated to each sire should be a random sample and there should not be any selection among progeny to be studied to estimate the breeding values of the sire.
2. A large number of progenies should be studied to reduce sampling error. When the heritability of the traits is high, less number of progenies is required; but when the heritability is low large numbers of progenies are required.
3. Progenies should not be culled until the end of the test.
4. The progeny of any sire should not be subjected to special environmental influences. Every effort should be taken to control the non-genetic variations.
5. The data recorded should be adjusted/corrected for environmental effects such as herd, year, season, age at first calving, lactation length, etc.

Progeny testing is recommended,

1. When the character has low heritability
2. When the character is sex-limited
3. For carcass traits, which require sacrifice of the animal, and for selecting traits expressed late in life
4. For testing animals for the presence of any recessive genes i.e. to identify the carrier individuals for harmful genes.