Breeding objectives example

Now that you’ve considered the environment that you operate in, your target market, the current performance of your herd and the profit drivers for your production system, consider what it is that you want to achieve with your herd, and how genetic tools can be used to achieve these goals. These goals form your breeding objectives.

Remember, your breeding objectives should be SMART:

S = Specific – Your goals should be written down and describe the traits and/or attributes you wish to improve.

M = Measurable – Setting targets for future performance means that your goals are measurable. To measure progress, you need to know your current performance.

A = Achievable – You should be able to realistically achieve what you have written down. This may mean that you need to prioritise the traits you wish to improve.

R = Relevant – Targets are relevant when they are based on your overall business objectives, including your target market and profit drivers.

T = Timebound – Dates have been set for things to be achieved by. Typically a timeframe will be 5 to 10 years.