Tips and Scenarios
Trait/Marker/Inbreeding Histogram Targets
Section titled “Trait/Marker/Inbreeding Histogram Targets”Under MEU analysis, the data that contribute to these histograms (found under the Trait, Markers, and Inbreeding tabs), act across all EndUses. You can still manipulate these histograms, but take care to note that you are manipulating across all EndUses. If you want to manipulate traits/markers/inbreeding per EndUse, please do this via the EndUse Summary screen for each EndUse separately. However, you can do both simultaneously.
Committed Matings Output
Section titled “Committed Matings Output”When you see EndUse = -1 in output CSV reports, then the mating concerned is a committed mating that was included in the file CommittedMatings.txt. Committed Matings are not allocated to any of the EndUses.
Frontier Generations
Section titled “Frontier Generations”Under Multiple EndUses, Frontier building now depends on mate allocations, as well as selections, because it is mating pairs that compete to enter the different EndUses. This can make convergence much slower. So, you will probably have to increase the number of generations for Frontier building to get a good Frontier. This can be done under the Settings menu item.
Minimal or no value for coancestry emphasis
Section titled “Minimal or no value for coancestry emphasis”Where you have some EndUses with minimal or no value for coancestry emphasis, and you are seeking low coancestries for the other EndUses, you are probably better off using Balance Strategies Hard constraint on Coancestry or Soft constraint on Coancestry. This is because, for example, at 90 Target Degrees under Balance Strategies based on Target Degrees, you are essentially declaring that genetic gain is not important, whereas for your terminal EndUses, this is not the case.
EndUse Index Scaling
Section titled “EndUse Index Scaling”Although all EndUse indices are internally scaled 0 to 1, there is possibility for some to have undue influence because of their distribution pattern. This means that you should pay attention to the outcomes that you get from different patterns of weightings allocated, and make adjustments to get the outcome that you want.
Conservation Programs and Zoos
Section titled “Conservation Programs and Zoos”If you want no emphasis on genetic gain in any EndUse, you can target 90 degrees on the Frontier and this will place diversity as the highest priority across all EndUses.