The production parameters include:

• mortality risk, defined as the probability of an animal dying during a specified time period (six months for lambs and kids, and one year for other classes of small ruminants and cattle);
• age at first parturition, expressed in months;
• parturition rate, defined as the number of parturitions per female per year;
• prolificacy, defined as the number of live offspring per parturition;
• milk offtake per lactation, defined as the milk used for human consumption (i.e. excluding that consumed by the calf/kid/lamb);
• offtake rate, defined as the proportion of animals sold or consumed in a year; and
• mean live weight of breeder females and males (uncastrated adult males used for breeding).