B.G. Genetic evaluations from the USDA Animal Model are estimates. Each evaluation is based on whatever information is available on the animal evaluated.
Reliability is the term given to the accuracy of each evaluation.
Reliability considers all sources of information parents, performance, and progeny - and ranges in value from 0 to .99. Reliability should be used to decide how much to use an animal in a breeding program. The measure of accuracy in the animal model system of genetic evaluation is called Reliability. This term replaces Repeatability which served a similar purpose in the herdmate comparison and MCC systems. Reliability considers contributions from parents, performance, and progeny.