Very little value for performance traits like gain and carcass traits. Cannot see what is under the hide. Most useful before animals have their own performance data. In general, the closer in pedigree a relative is, the more valuable it is to an animal's evaluation. Sometimes it is not feasible to test all animals available for selection.
Some people emphasize the pedigree of ancestors that have placed high in livestock shows .
This is NOT an indication of genetic merit. Performance test Evaluation of an animal on the basis of its own record. Heritability must be high enough to select for a trait. Most common practice is to feed the potential breeding males for a period of time after weaning on the same ration in a common environment. Progeny test Evaluation of an animal on the basis of the performance of its offspring.