A performance programmed method for computing inbreeding coefficients from large data sets for use in mixed-model analyses.

Coefficients of inbreeding are commonly used in mixed-model methods for forming inverses of Wright's numerator relationship matrix and transformation matrices used in variance component estimation and national cattle evaluation. Computation of exact coefficients of inbreeding from very large data sets has been believed to be too expensive or too difficult a task to perform. Approximate methods have been used instead. The effects of using approximation methods for inbred data that appear in national cattle data sets are demonstrated. An algorithm is given for the computation of inbreeding coefficients for large data sets. The algorithm feasibly computes inbreeding coefficients for large data sets even on small computing architectures.