How important is the reporting the proper grouping of animals in the EPD analysis?
The effects of group environments are adjusted out in the analysis procedure. This results in the EPDs being computed as though all animals were in one large group. This is the reason EPDs are comparable across herds and groups. It is of the upmost importance that groups be identified and reported accurately. Most inaccuracies in genetic evaluation programs can be traced back to improper identification of groups.
