How did successful breeders learn to move from visual appraisal towards purposeful genetic selection? This article revisits historical examples, including Robert Bakewell, Charles Colling and Jacob, to illustrate enduring principles of animal improvement. It emphasises accurate performance and pedigree records, clear breeding objectives, measurable economic traits, knowledge of inheritance, and the careful selection and mating of breeding animals. The central lesson is that visual differences alone do not guarantee genetic progress: recording, selection objectives and sound breeding principles must work together.
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