Multivariate quantitative genetic analysis of body weight traits in Corriedale sheep

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production Vol. 53; no. 2; p. 197
• Main Authors: Ahmad, Sheikh Firdous, Khan, Nusrat Nabi, Ganai, Nazir Ahmad, Shanaz, Syed, Rather, Mubashir Ali, Alam, Safeer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 06-03-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algorithms; Animal models; Animal populations; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Body weight; Correlation analysis; Covariance; Genetic analysis; Heritability; Life Sciences; Quantitative genetics; Sheep; Short Communications; Statistical analysis; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Weaning; Zoology; Correlation; Corriedale; Heritability; Selection; Body weight; Variance
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02632-3

In the present study, an attempt was made to elucidate the genetic parameters for body weight traits of lambs from Corriedale sheep population at different ages. Data were collected from 6874 lambs born over a span of 49 years from 1969 to 2017. The traits under study included body weight at birth (BW), weaning (WW), 6 months of age (6MW), 9 months of age (9MW) and yearling stage (YW). Data were statistically analyzed using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) algorithm in WOMBAT program. A multi-variate animal model was fitted to the data incorporating season and period of lambing, sex of lamb and litter size as fixed effects. Variance and covariance components were estimated using the animal model after incorporating direct additive genetic effect of animal as random factor. Genetic and phenotypic correlations with corresponding standard errors were also estimated. The heritability estimates for BW, WW, 6MW, 9MW and YW were 0.130 ± 0.023, 0.300 ± 0.029, 0.292 ± 0.030, 0.191 ± 0.025 and 0.169 ± 0.024, respectively. The genetic correlation between different traits under study was high, except between BW and 9MW for which the estimate was moderate. Phenotypic correlation ranged from low to high for different trait combinations. Among different traits under study, only two traits showed moderate heritability i.e. WW and 6MW while heritability of other traits was low. Both these traits showed high correlation with all subsequent traits. Selection programme for Corriedale sheep should be based on WW which is expressed early in life and shall lead to moderate genetic response to selection.