Across-Country Genetic Evaluations in Small Ruminants

This study confirms the feasibility of across-country genetic evaluations in sheep and goats, demonstrating high genetic correlations (>75%) across countries for resilience and efficiency traits. Case studies in meat sheep (Ireland/UK), dairy sheep (France/Spain), and dairy goats (France/Italy/Switzerland/Canada) show strong potential for international collaboration. Stakeholder surveys indicate high willingness to share data, supporting the foundation for a future international initiative. A Reference Centre, potentially led by Interbull and ICAR, could harmonise performance recording and genetic evaluation. Image: Manech tète rousse sheep. Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Programme.