Limousin breeders commenced scoring docility in 1995 using the five point scoring system developed by the North American Limousin Foundation in 1991.

Initially this scoring allowed us to identify those sires which were genetically good and bad for docility based on EBVs for docility. Now many breeders are getting EBVs for their calves and their dams.

By comparing the average EBVs over years it allows them to track the genetic change in their herds. The average EBVs also allow us to track the genetic change for the breed as shown below.

The increase in average docility EBVs since 1996 as shown below is very encouraging. We are making genetic progress for this trait which is so important to the future of the breed.

This trend shows that we made little genetic progress from 1990 to 1996 but have made steady progress since then.

Genetic change in the cow herd is always much slower because the turnover of cows is much slower. However there is a small positive genetic trend in the Limousin cow herd since 1997.