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Direct and maternal (co)variance components, genetic parameters, and annual trends for growth traits of Makooei sheep in Iran

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A Publisher’s Erratum to this article was published on 22 February 2014

Abstract

Genetic parameters and genetic trends for birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), 6-month weight (6MW), and yearling weight (YW) traits were estimated by using records of 5,634 Makooei lambs, descendants of 289 sires and 1,726 dams, born between 1996 and 2009 at the Makooei sheep breeding station, West Azerbaijan, Iran. The (co)variance components were estimated with different animal models using a restricted maximum likelihood procedure and the most appropriate model for each trait was determined by Akaike’s Information Criterion. Breeding values of animals were predicted with best linear unbiased prediction methodology under multi-trait animal models and genetic trends were estimated by regression mean breeding values on birth year. The most appropriate model for BW was a model including direct and maternal genetic effects, regardless of their covariance. The model for WW and 6MW included direct additive genetic effects. The model for YW included direct genetic effects only. Direct heritabilities based on the best model were estimated 0.15 ± 0.04, 0.16 ± 0.03, 0.21 ± 0.04, and 0.22 ± 0.06 for BW, WW, 6MW, and YW, respectively, and maternal heritability obtained 0.08 ± 0.02 for BW. Genetic correlations among the traits were positive and varied from 0.28 for BW–YW to 0.66 for BW–WW and phenotypic correlations were generally lower than the genetic correlations. Genetic trends were 8.1 ± 2, 67.4 ± 5, 38.7 ± 4, and 47.6 ± 6 g per year for BW, WW, 6MW, and YW, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the staff of the Makooei Sheep Breeding Station who provided the raw data for the present study. Thanks are also extended to anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on a previous version of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 31587-77871, 31587-11167, Karaj, Iran

    Hossein Mohammadi, Mohammad Moradi Shahrebabak & Hossein Moradi Shahrebabak

  2. Department of Animal Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center, Shahrekord, Iran

    Mahmood Vatankhah

Authors
  1. Hossein Mohammadi
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  2. Mohammad Moradi Shahrebabak
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  3. Mahmood Vatankhah
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  4. Hossein Moradi Shahrebabak
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hossein Mohammadi.

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0555-z.

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Mohammadi, H., Moradi Shahrebabak, M., Vatankhah, M. et al. Direct and maternal (co)variance components, genetic parameters, and annual trends for growth traits of Makooei sheep in Iran. Trop Anim Health Prod 45, 185–191 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-012-0190-5

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