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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 November 2017
A group breeding scheme was set up in 1976 by 10 Welsh Mountain breeders. The objective of the scheme was to improve lamb growth rate, mature size, mothering ability and litter size by selection in a nucleus flock. The original design of the scheme involved two control flocks. The Genetic Control flock was set up from the original base population and was used to monitor environmental changes in the nucleus flock. A Commercial Control flock comprised of a random selection of ewes mated to rams, which were purchased annually and represented the average animal available in the breed. An analysis of genetic progress in lamb growth in the first 9 years of the scheme was reported by Guy et al (1986). This paper presents genetic parameters and genetic trends for three traits recorded between 1977 and 1992.