Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T23:34:57.241Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Heritabilities and genetic correlations of body weight, testis growth and ewe lamb reproductive traits in crossbred sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

S. L. Fossceco  and
D. R. Notter
S. L. Fossceco
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0306, USA
D. R. Notter
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0306, USA
Get access

Abstract

Heritabilities (h2) and genetic correlations (rc) involving body weights, measures of testes size and ewe lamb reproduction were calculated using 953 spring-born lambs produced during formation of a three-breed composite population containing 0·50 Dorset, 0·25 Rambouillet and 0·25 Finnish Landrace breeding. The h2 of body weight ranged from 0·2 to 0·3 between 45 and 150 days of age, but increased to 0·41 at the start of breeding of ewe lambs at about 6 months of age. Additive maternal effects were not important, perhaps because intensive housing encouraged cross-suckling. Testes size was measured as scrotal circumference (SC), SC with linear adjustment for weight (SCW) and SC divided by the one-third power of body weight (RSC). The h2 of SC traits was highest at 90 days (0·52 for SC, 0·62 for RSC and 0·57 for SCW), and h2 for age at maximum SC growth rate (i.e. TI, the inflexion point of a logistic SC growth curve) was 0·49. The h2 of ewe lamb fertility in autumn was 0·09 but the h2 for frequency of remating the following spring was 0·41. The h2 for ewe lamb litter size in these data was zero. At 90 days, rc between alternative measures of testes size exceeded 0·86; rG with body weight were 0·67 for SC, 0·53 for RSC and –0·74 for TI. The rG with ewe lamb fertility for 90-day weight, SC, RSC and SCW and for TI were –0·25, 0·20, 0·25, 0·38 and –0·32, respectively. The rc for these traits with spring remating were 0·34, 0·34, 0·26, 0·10 and –0·48, respectively.

Keywords

genetic parametersgrowthreproductiontestessheep
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 60 , Issue 2 , April 1995 , pp. 185 - 195
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bodin, L., Bibe, B., Blanc, M. R. and Ricordeau, G. 1988. Genetic relationship between prepubertal plasma FSH levels and reproductive performance in Lacaune ewe lambs. Genctique, Selection, Evolution 20: 489–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradford, G. E. 1985. Selection for litter size. In Genetics of reproduction in sheep (ed. Land, R. B. and Robinson, D. W.), pp. 3–18. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brien, F. D. 1986. A review of the genetic and physiological relationships between growth and reproduction in mammals. Animal Breeding Abstracts 54: 975–997.Google Scholar
Brinks, J. S., Mclnerney, M. J. and Chenoweth, P. J. 1978. Relationship of age at puberty in heifers to reproductive traits in young bulls. Proceedings of the Western Section American Society of Animal Science 29: 28–30.Google Scholar
Bunge, R., Thomas, D. L. and Stookey, J. M. 1990. Factors affecting productivity of Rambouillet ewes mated to ram lambs. Journal of Animal Science 68: 2253–2262.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clarke, L. S. 1985. Breed group effects on pregnancy rate and ewe performance in different seasons of the year. M.S. thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg.Google Scholar
Clarke, S. E. and Hohenboken, W. D. 1983. Estimation of repeatability, heritability and breed differences for lamb production. Journal of Animal Science 56: 309–315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eisen, E. J. and Johnson, B. H. 1981. Correlated responses in male reproductive traits in mice selected for litter size and body weight. Genetics 99: 513–524.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fahmy, M. H. 1990. Development of DLS breed of sheep: genetic and phenotypic parameters of date of lambing and litter size. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 70: 771–778.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fogarty, N. M., Dickerson, G. E. and Young, L. D. 1985. Lamb production and its components in pure breeds and composite lines. III. Genetic parameters. Journal of Animal Science 60: 40–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fogarty, N. M., Lunstra, D. D., Young, L. D. and Dickerson, G. E. 1980. Breed effects and heritability of testis measurements in sheep. Journal of Animal Science 55: suppl. 1, p. 117(abstr.).Google Scholar
Fossceco, S. L. 1991. Logistic growth curve parameter estimates for scrotal circumference and relationships with female reproduction in crossbred sheep. Ph.D. dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg.Google Scholar
Gabina, D. 1989. Improvement of the reproductive performance of Rasa Aragonesa flocks in frequent lambing systems. II. Repeatability and heritability of sexual precocity, fertility and litter size. Livestock Production Science 22: 87–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gonzalez, G. E. 1982. Factors affecting estimates of genetic parameters for economic traits in sheep. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Davis.Google Scholar
Haley, C. S., Lee, G. J., Ritchie, M. and Land, R. B. 1990. Direct response in males and correlated responses for reproduction in females to selection for testicular size adjusted for body weight in young male lambs. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 89: 383–396.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanrahan, J. P. and Quirke, J. F. 1982. Selection on ovulation rate in sheep aided by the use of superovulation and egg transfer. Proceedings of the world congress on sheep and beef cattle breeding (ed. Barton, R. A. and Smith, W. C.), pp. 329–335. Dunmore Press, Palmerston North, NZ.Google Scholar
Hanrahan, J. P. and Quirke, J. F. 1986. Breeding season and multiple births in small ruminants. Proceedings of the third world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, vol. 11, pp. 30–45.Google Scholar
Iniguez, L. C., Quaas, R. L. and Van Vleck, L. D. 1986. Lambing performance of Morlam and Dorset ewes under accelerated lambing systems. Journal of Animal Science 63: 1769–1778.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Islam, A. B., Mafizul, M., Hill, W. G. and Land, R. B. 1976. Ovulation rate of lines of mice selected for testis weight. Genetkal Research 27: 23–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joakimsen, O. and Baker, R. L. 1977. Selection for litter size in mice. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 27: 301–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, R. K., Eckardt, G. R., Rathje, T. A. and Drudik, D. K. 1994. Ten generations of selection for predicted weight of testes in swine: direct response and correlated response in body weight, backfat, age at puberty and ovulation rate, Journal of Animal Science 72: 1978–1988.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, R. G., Kress, D. D., Anderson, D. C., Doornbos, D. E. and Burfening, P. J. 1983. Genetic parameters in Herefords for puberty in heifers and scrotal circumference in bulls. Proceedings of the Western Section American Society of Animal Science 34: 11–13.Google Scholar
Land, R. B. 1973. The expression of female sex-limited characters in the male. Nature, London 241: 208–209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Land, R. B. 1978. Reproduction in young sheep: some genetic and environmental sources of variation. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 52: 427–436.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Land, R. B., Carr, W. R. and Lee, G. J. 1980. A consideration of physiological criteria of reproductive merit in sheep. In Selection experiments in laboratory and domestic animals (ed. Robertson, A.), pp. 147–157. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Lewis, R. M. 1990. Reproductive performance of Dorset ewes in the STAR accelerated lambing system. Ph.D. dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg.Google Scholar
Lucas, J. R., Notter, D. R., McClaugherty, F. S., Anderson, G. W. and Gwazdauskas, F. C. 1983. Breed differences in testicular growth and gonadotrophin secretion in prepubertal ram lambs. Tlieriogenology 19: 749–758.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyne, A. G. and Verhagen, A. M. W. 1957. Growth and the marsupial richosurus vulpecula and a comparison with some higher mammals. Growth 21: 167–195.Google Scholar
Mackinnon, M. J., Hetzel, D. J. S., Corbet, N. J., Bryan, R. P. and Dixon, R. 1990. Correlated responses to selection for cow fertility in a tropical beef herd. Animal Production 50: 417–424.Google Scholar
Matos, C. A. P. and Thomas, D. L. 1992. Physiology and genetics of testicular size in sheep: a review. Livestock Production Science 32: 1–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matos, C. A. P., Thomas, D. L., Nash, T. G., Waldron, D. F. and Stookey, J. M. 1992. Genetic analysis of scrotal circumference size and growth in Rambouillet lambs. Journal of Animal Science 70: 43–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meyer, K. 1989. Restricted maximum likelihood to estimate variance components for animal models with several random effects using a derivative-free algorithm. Genctique, Selection, Evolution 21: 317–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, K. 1991. Estimating variances and covariances for multivariate animal models by restricted maximum likelihood. Genetique, Selection, Evolution 23: 67–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Sheep Improvement Program. 1986. Plan of action, National Sheep Improvement Program. National Sheep Improvement Program, Denver, CO.Google Scholar
Nottér, D. R., Lucas, J. R., McClaugherty, F. S. and Copenhaver, J. S. 1985. Breed group differences in testicular growth patterns in spring-born ram lambs. Journal of Animal Science 60: 622–631.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Purser, A. F. 1965. Repeatability and heritability of fertility in hill sheep. Animal Production 7: 75–82.Google Scholar
Purvis, I. W. 1986. Phenotypic and genetic variation in male morphological reproductive traits. Ph.D. dissertation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW.Google Scholar
Ricordeau, G., Poivey, J. P., Bodin, L., Barrilet, F., Boussely, M. and Mollaret, R. 1986. Importance of testicular measurements of young males tested on individual performance for improvement of their daughters prolificacy: application to the selection scheme on Laucaune milked. Proceedings of the third world congress on genetics applied to livestock production vol. 11, pp. 72–77.Google Scholar
Schinckel, A., Johnson, R. K., Pumfrey, R. A. and Zimmerman, D. R. 1983. Testicular growth in boars of different genetic lines and its relationship to reproductive performance. Journal of Animal Science 56: 1065–1076.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shelton, M. and Menzies, J. W. 1970. Repeatability and heritability of components of reproductive efficiency in fine-wool sheep. Journal of Animal Science 30: 1–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, B. A., Brinks, J. S. and Richardson, G. V. 1989. Relationships of sire scrotal circumference to offspring reproduction and growth. Journal of Animal Science 67: 2881–2885.Google ScholarPubMed
Smith, S. P. and Graser, H. U. 1986. Estimating variance components in a class of mixed models by restricted maximum likelihood. Journal of Dairy Science 69: 1156–1165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1985. SAS users' guide: statistics. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Toelle, V. D. and Robison, O. W. 1985a. Estimates of genetic correlations between testicular measurements and female reproductive traits in cattle. Journal of Animal Science 60: 89–100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Toelle, V. D. and Robison, O. W. 1985b. Estimates of genetic relationship between testes measurements and female reproductive traits in swine. Zeitschrift fur Tierzuchtitng und Zuchtungsbiologie 102: 125–132.Google Scholar
Waldron, D. F. and Thomas, D. L. 1992. Increased litter size in Rambouillet sheep. I. Estimation of genetic parameters. Journal of Animal Science 70: 3333–3344.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walkley, J. R. W. and Smith, C. 1980. The use of physiological traits in genetic selection for litter size in sheep. Journal of Reproduction and fertility 59: 83–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, L. D., Leymaster, K. A. and Lunstra, D. D. 1986. Genetic variation in testicular development and its relationship to female reproductive traits in swine. Journal of Animal Science 63: 17–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed