Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T04:29:51.146Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic parameters for direct and maternal effects on body weights of Muzaffarnagari sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

A. Mandal ,
F. W. C. Neser ,
P. K. Rout ,
R. Roy  and
D. R. Notter
A. Mandal*
Affiliation:
Genetics and Breeding Division, Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura-281 122, Uttar Pradesh, India
F. W. C. Neser
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agriculture Sciences, Bloemfontein, South Africa
P. K. Rout
Affiliation:
Genetics and Breeding Division, Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura-281 122, Uttar Pradesh, India
R. Roy
Affiliation:
Genetics and Breeding Division, Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura-281 122, Uttar Pradesh, India
D. R. Notter
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0306, USA
*
†E-mail: ajoymandal@rediffmail.com
Get access

Abstract

Estimates of co(variance) components were obtained for weights at birth, weaning and 6, 9 and 12 months of age in Muzaffarnagari sheep maintained at the Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura, India, over a period of 28 years (1976 to 2003). Records of 5530 lambs out of 169 rams and 1631 ewes were used for the study. Analyses were carried out by restricted maximum likelihood (REML), fitting six animal models, including various combinations of maternal effects. Heritability estimates for weight at birth, weaning and 6, 9 and 12 months of age were 0·09, 0·21, 0·06, 0·10 and 0·14, respectively. Maternal heritability of body weight declined from 0·07 at birth to 0·02 at weaning. The maternal permanent environmental component contributed 10 to 11% to the total variance for all traits except weight at 12 months. A significant large negative genetic correlation was observed between direct and maternal genetic effects on weaning weight, suggesting the presence of antagonistic environmental, as well as perhaps genetic, effects in daughter and dam. Results suggest that maternal additive effects were only important in early stages of growth, whereas a permanent environmental maternal effect existed at all ages up to 9 months, probably as a carry-over effect of maternal influences present at weaning. Modest rates of genetic progress appear possible for all weights, but the presence of an antagonism between direct and maternal effects on weaning weight would complicate attempts to improve both by selection.

Keywords

body weightgenetic parametersmaternal effectsMuzaffarnagarisheep
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 82 , Issue 2 , April 2006 , pp. 133 - 140
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2006

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

Abegaz, S.Negussie, E.Duguma, G. and Rege, J. E. O. 2002. Genetic parameter estimates for growth traits in Horro sheep. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 119: 35–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Al-Shorepy, S. A. and Notter, D. R. 1998. Genetic parameters for lamb birth weight in spring and autumn lambing. Animal Science 67: 327–332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Assan, N.Makuza, S.Mhlanga, F. and Mabuku, O. 2002. Genetic evaluation and selection response of birth weight and weaning weight in indigenous Sabi sheep. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science 15: 1690–1694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conington, J.Bishop, S. C.Waterhouse, A. and Simm, G. 1995. A genetic analysis of early growth and ultrasonic measurements in hill sheep. Animal Science 61: 85–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekiz, B.Özcan, M.Yilmaz, A. and Ceyhan, A. 2004. Estimates of genetic parameters for direct and maternal effects with six different models on birth and weaning weights of Turkish Merino lambs. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Science 28: 383–389.Google Scholar
El Fadili, M.Michaux, C.Detilleux, J. and Leroy, P. L. 2000. Genetic parameters for growth traits of the Moroccan Timahdit breed of sheep. Small Ruminant Research 37: 203–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gerstmayr, S. 1992. Impact of the data structure on the reliability of the estimated genetic parameters in an animal model with maternal effects. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 109: 321–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hagger, C. 1998. Litter, permanent environmental, ram-flock, and genetic effects on early weight gain of lambs. Journal of Animal Science 76: 452–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanford, K. J.van Vleck, L. D. and Snowder, G. D. 2003. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic change for reproduction, weight and wool characteristics of Targhee sheep. Journal of Animal Science 81: 630–640.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanrahan, J. P. 1976. Maternal effects and selection response with an application to sheep data. Animal Production 22: 359–369.Google Scholar
Harvey, W. R. 1990. User's guide for LSMLMW MIXMDL, PC-2 version, Columbus, OH.Google Scholar
Janssens, S.Geysen, D. and Vandepitte, W. 2000. Genetic parameters for live weight in Belgian Texel sheep. Proceedings of the 51st annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, 21–24 August, 2000, Den Haag, Nederland, session 1.6, pp. 1–8.Google Scholar
Larsgard, A. G. and Olesen, I. 1998. Genetic parameters for direct and maternal effects on weights and ultrasonic muscle and fat depth of lambs. Livestock Production Science 55: 273–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, R. M. and Beatson, P. R. 1999. Choosing maternal-effect models to estimate (co)variances for live and fleece weight in New Zealand Coopworth sheep. Livestock Production Science 58: 137–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mandal, A.Singh, L. B. and Rout, P. K. 2000. The Muzaffarnagari sheep, a mutton breed in India. Animal Genetic Resources Information, Rome, Food and Agricultural Organization 28: 19–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mandal, A.Neser, F. W. C.Rout, P. K.Roy, R. and Notter, D. R. 2005. Estimation of direct and maternal (co)variance components for pre-weaning growth traits in Muzaffarnagari sheep. Livestock Production Science In press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
María, G. A.Boldman, K. G. and van Vleck, L. D. 1993. Estimates of variances due to direct and maternal effects for growth traits of Romanov sheep. Journal of Animal Science 71: 845–849.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matika, O.van Wyk, J. B.Erasmus, G. J. and Baker, R. L. 2003. Genetic parameter estimates in Sabi sheep. Livestock Production Science 79: 17–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, K. 2000. DFREML programs to estimate variance components by restricted maximum likelihood using a derivative- free algorithm–user notes.Google Scholar
Meyer, K. 1992. Variance components due to direct and maternal effects for growth traits of Australian beef cattle. Livestock Production Science 31: 179–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortimer, S. I. and Atkins, K. D. 1994. Direct additive and maternal genetic effects on wool production of Merino sheep. Proceedings of the fifth world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, Guelph, Canada, vol. 18, pp. 103–106Google Scholar
Mousa, E.van Vleck, L. D. and Leymaster, K. A. 1999. Genetic parameters for growth traits for a composite terminal sire breed of sheep. Journal of Animal Science 77: 1659–1665.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Näsholm, A. and Danell, Ö. 1996. Genetic relationships of lamb weight, maternal ability, and mature ewe weight in Swedish finewool sheep. Journal of Animal Science 74: 329–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Näsholm, A. and Danell, Ö.. 1994. Maternal genetic effects on lamb weights. Proceedings of the fifth world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, Guelph, Canada, vol. 18, pp. 163–166Google Scholar
Neser, F. W. C.Erasmus, G. J. and van Wyk, J. B. 2001. Genetic parameter estimates for pre-weaning weight traits in Dorper sheep. Small Ruminant Research 40: 197–202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Notter, D. R. and Hough, J. D. 1997. Genetic parameter estimates for growth and fleece characteristics in Targhee sheep. Journal of Animal Science 75: 1729–1737.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Notter, D. R. 1998. Genetic parameters for growth traits in Suffolk and Polypay sheep. Livestock Production Science 55: 205–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ozcan, M.Ekiz, B.Yilmaz, A. and Ceyhan, A. 2005. Genetic parameter estimates for lamb growth traits and greasy fleece weight at first shearing in Turkish Merino sheep. Small Ruminant Research 56: 215–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, D. L. 1996a. Estimation and interpretation of direct and maternal genetic parameters for weights of Australian Angus cattle. Livestock Production Science 45: 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, D. L. 1996b. Models which might explain negative correlations between direct and maternal genetic effects. Livestock Production Science 45: 111–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robison, O. W. 1981. The influence of maternal effects on the efficiency of selection–a review. Livestock Production Science 8: 121–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robison, O. W. 1972. The role of maternal effects in animal breeding. V. Maternal effects in swine. Journal of Animal Science 35: 1303–1315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Safari, A. and Fogarty, N. M. 2003. Genetic parameters for sheep production traits: estimates from the literature. Technical bulletin 49. New South Wales Agriculture, Orange, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Safari, E.Fogarty, N. M. and Gilmour, A. R. 2005. A review of genetic parameter estimates for wool, growth, meat and reproduction traits in sheep. Livestock Production Science 92: 271–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snyman, M. A.Erasmus, G. J.van Wyk, J. B. and Olivier, J. J. 1995. Direct and maternal (co)variance components and heritability estimates for body weight at different ages and fleece traits in Afrino sheep. Livestock Production Science 44: 229–235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swalve, H. H. 1993. Estimation of direct and maternal (co)variance components for growth traits in Australian Simmental beef cattle. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 110: 241–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tosh, J. J. and Kemp, R. A. 1994. Estimation of variance components for lamb weights in three sheep populations. Journal of Animal Science 72: 1184–1190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willham, R. L. 1972. The role of maternal effects in animal breeding. III. Biometrical aspects of maternal effects in animals. Journal of Animal Science 35: 1288–1293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willham, R. L. 1980. Problems in estimating maternal effects. Livestock Production Science 7: 405–418.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yazdi, M. H.Engström, G.Näsholm, A.Johansson, K.Jorjani, H. and Liljedahl, L. E. 1997. Genetic parameters for lamb weight at different ages and wool production in Baluchi sheep. Animal Science 65: 247–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar