New edition due to be published April 2005Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) has become the most widely accepted method for the genetic evaluation of domestic livestock. Since its introduction, the method has evolved in terms of its application to sire models, and to sire and maternal grandsire models in the early years, to animal models and multivariate analysis more recently. Despite these developments, there has been no straightforward text available on the application of linear models to the prediction of animal breeding values. This book fills this gap, providing a blend of theory and practical applications. It covers basic principles of breeding value predictions and the application of BLUP to genetic evaluations under various models. Some knowledge of basic matrix algebra and of quantitative genetics is assumed on the part of the reader, although some introductory matrix algebra is included in an appendix.