Occasional Publication No. 6 (1997) A genetic database for performance parameter recording in Danish Angora goats

The Danish Goat Registration System is a database storing data on pedigree, reproduction, growth rates, mohair yields, mohair quality and health. The database is based on an unambiguous identification system for individuals and on the farmers ’ own recordings of breeding and production data. The data stored in the database is used as documentation for descent, to estimate breeding indexes and to produce management lists for the farmers. The Goat Registration System has been developed since 1991 and today 227 Angora herds are on the system, including 25 Swedish and 7 Norwegian herds. The Nordic Angora goat population consists of many small herds (a total of 4,277 Angoras). This is one of the reasons why we have developed a genetic indexation system over the past 2 years, enabling us to compare animals from different herds and to find the best bucks and does in the Nordic countries. This will ensure the best possible basis for breeding progress and thus a profitable mohair production. How then can we incorporate more figures about mohair quality in the goat registration system? This is one of the main questions to be dealt with in the next two years. We have defined 2 pre-conditions: Firstly, we would rather accept many quality figures and thus a higher degree of unreliability on the figures than vice versa and secondly, the method should be cheap, simple and user-friendly in order to get full breeder support