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Estimates of direct and maternal (co)variance components as well as genetic parameters of growth traits in Nellore sheep

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Abstract

In the present study, (co)variance components and genetic parameters in Nellore sheep were obtained by restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method using six different animal models with various combinations of direct and maternal genetic effects for birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), 6-month weight (6MW), 9-month weight (9MW) and 12-month weight (YW). Evaluated records of 2075 lambs descended from 69 sires and 478 dams over a period of 8 years (2007–2014) were collected from the Livestock Research Station, Palamaner, India. Lambing year, sex of lamb, season of lambing and parity of dam were the fixed effects in the model, and ewe weight was used as a covariate. Best model for each trait was determined by log-likelihood ratio test. Direct heritability for BW, WW, 6MW, 9MW and YW were 0.08, 0.03, 0.12, 0.16 and 0.10, respectively, and their corresponding maternal heritabilities were 0.07, 0.10, 0.09, 0.08 and 0.11. The proportions of maternal permanent environment variance to phenotypic variance (Pe2) were 0.07, 0.10, 0.07, 0.06 and 0.10 for BW, WW, 6MW, 9MW and YW, respectively. The estimates of direct genetic correlations among the growth traits were positive and ranged from 0.44(BW-WW) to 0.96(YW-9MW), and the estimates of phenotypic and environmental correlations were found to be lower than those of genetic correlations. Exclusion of maternal effects in the model resulted in biased estimates of genetic parameters in Nellore sheep. Hence, to implement optimum breeding strategies for improvement of traits in Nellore sheep, maternal effects should be considered.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the funding and operational guidance provided by the ICAR-NWPSI Project Coordination Cell, CSWRI, Avikanagar, Rajasthan, India and Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Network Project on Sheep Improvement, Livestock Research Station, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Palamaner, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Satish Kumar I, Vijaya Kumar C & Gangaraju G

  2. Division of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Indian Council of Agriculture Research—National Dairy Research Institute, Southern Research Station, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

    Sapna Nath

  3. Mecheri Sheep Research Station, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pottaneri, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

    Thiruvenkadan A.K.

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  1. Satish Kumar I
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  2. Vijaya Kumar C
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Correspondence to Satish Kumar I.

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I, S., C, V., G, G. et al. Estimates of direct and maternal (co)variance components as well as genetic parameters of growth traits in Nellore sheep. Trop Anim Health Prod 49, 1431–1438 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1344-2

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