EBVs are generated through the collection of large amounts of data that include not only the bull you are interested in, but the performance records of progeny, siblings and pedigrees. Collected over many herds and in many environments, EBVs are essential in describing the potential a sire can offer your future calves.
In contrast, raw data is really just a series of measurements taken at a single point in time, on one animal. There are people who use raw data in their comparisons, but if you do this, it’s important to realise that this data is a reflection of the nutrition and the pedigrees of animals in that particular program. However there are other factors that are in play as well.
These include:
These are all non genetic influences on the animal over and above nutrition and genetics. It’s very difficult to know what these additional influences are or how to account for them in a selection decision. The combination of these factors can mean producers looking at raw data are really looking at differences that are a result of these multiple factors, rather than for the genetic differences in animals.
