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title: "3.5 Breeding goals are directed towards the future and require tenacity"
canonical: "https://wiki.groenkennisnet.nl/space/TAB/282558550/3.5%20Breeding%20goals%20are%20directed%20towards%20the%20future%20and%20require%20tenacity"
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In the ideal situation the breeding goal consists of a single criterion that facilitates the ranking of animals in line with this goal. The breeding goal aims at the future. In practical situations it is often not a single trait but a combination of traits, specified according to their relative importance. The breeding goal usually involves the improvement of multiple traits simultaneously. The breeding goal should be formulated carefully and should hold consequently for many generations to become successful as a breeder. Breeding is a process where in each new generation small steps towards the breeding goal traits are realized. The success of breeding will become visible as the sum (the accumulation) of all these small steps. Changes in breeding goal traits from generation to generation do not contribute to a visible cumulative success. A trait should be included in the breeding goal based on its economic value and its heritability (see for an example: the Dutch milk production in cattle breeding in subchapter 3.14). Breeding goals can be expressed in term of weighing factors for traits based on its economic value or based on the desired genetic improvements for each trait.

Breeding goal traits could be restricted to the wishes of the breeder, to the requests of the producers and processors or even extended to the behavior of the consumers of products of animal origin or societal wishes. However, the more traits are included in the breeding goal, the less progress in each trait will be obtained per generation.

The outcome of a breeding program is often realized many years after selection decisions are made. This underlines the need to anticipate future demands when defining breeding goals and requires attention towards returns on investments. And most breeding goals are only reached after several generations of selection. This requires tenacity of the breeders involved: frequent changes in breeding goals impedes the generation of progress in breeding programs.  

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