Genetic parameters for faecal egg count, packed-cell volume and body-weight in Santa Inês lambs

Genetics and Molecular Biology

Raimundo N.b. Lôbo²  Luiz S. Vieira²  Amaury A. De Oliveira¹  Evandro N. Muniz¹  José M. Da Silva¹ 

[1] ,Embrapa Embrapa Caprinos e OvinosSobral CE ,Brazil

关键词: genetic correlations;    heritability;    Legendre polynomials;    random regression;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1415-47572009005000032

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Worm infection is one of the main factors responsible for economic losses in sheep breeding in Brazil. Random regression analysis was used to estimate genetic parameters for the factors faecal egg-count (FEC), packed-cell volume (PCV) and body weight (BW) in Santa Inês lambs. Data from 119 female, offspring of nine rams, were collected between December, 2005 and December, 2006, from the experimental flock of Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation located in Frei Paulo, SE, Brazil. After weaning, females were drenched until the faecal egg count had dropped to zero. Two natural challenges were undertaken. FEC heritability was extremely variable, this increasing from 0.04 to 0.27 in the first challenge and from 0.01 to 0.52 during the second. PCV heritability peaks were 0.31 and 0.12 in the first and second challenges, respectively. In the second challenge, BW heritability was close to 0.90. The genetic correlations among these traits did not differ from zero. There is the possibility of increasing parasite resistance in Santa Inês by selecting those animals with lower FEC. Selection to increase resistance will not adversely affect lamb-growth, although lambs with a slow growth-rate may be more susceptible to infection.

【 授权许可】

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