Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Direct and Maternal Effects in Growth Traits of Sangsari Sheep Using Gibbs Sampling

Document Type : Genetics & breeding

Authors

• Zohreh Yousefi ¹
• Mohammad Taghi Beigi Nasiri ²
• Noredin Moradi ³
• Mehdi Imani ³

¹ Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan

² Department of Animal Sciences, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University, Khuzestan, Khuzestan, Iran.

³ Tehran University

10.22067/ijasr.v8i2.49127

Abstract

Introduction Small ruminants, especially native breed types, play an important role in livelihoods of a considerable part of human population in the tropics from socio-economic aspects. Therefore, integrated attempt in terms of management and genetic improvement to enhance production is of crucial importance. Knowledge of genetic variation and co-variation among traits is required for both the design of effective sheep breeding programs and the accurate prediction of genetic progress from these programs.
Body weight and growth traits are one of the economically important traits in sheep production, especially in Iran where lamb sale is the main source of income for sheep breeders while other products are in secondary importance. Although mutton is the most important source of protein in Iran, meat production from the sheep does not cover the increasing consumer demand. On the other hand, increase in sheep number to increase meat production has been limited by low quality and quantity of forage range. Therefore, enhancing meat production should be achieved by selecting the animals that have maximum genetic merit as next generation parents. To design an efficient improvement program and genetic evaluation system for maximization response to selection for economically important traits, accurate estimates of the genetic parameters and the genetic relationships between the traits are necessary.
Studies of various sheep breeds have shown that both direct and maternal genetic influences are of importance for lamb growth. When growth traits are included in the breeding goal, both direct and maternal genetic effects should be taken into account in order to achieve optimum genetic progress. The objective of this study was to estimate the variance components and heritability, for growth traits, by fitting six animal models in the Sangsari sheep using Gibbs sampling.
Material and Method Sangsari is a fat-tailed and relatively small sized breed of sheep, native and well adapted to Semnan province. The data set and pedigree information used in this study, recorded during 1986–2008, were obtained from the breeding station of Sangsari sheep (in Damghan, Semnan Province, Iran). The data included 9707 records for birth weight (BW), 8524 records for weaning weight (WW) and 3894 records for six months weight (6MW). Records were prepared for analysis using EXCEL 97 software. During the preparation process, abnormal data were removed. The pedigree and data files were prepared using pedigree software.
Firstly, the GLM procedure (SAS, 2002) was used for determining the fixed effects that had significant effect on the traits investigated (P

Keywords

• Genetic parameters
• Gibbs sampling
• Heritability
• Sangsari Sheep

20.1001.1.20083106.1395.8.2.15.6

---

References

1- Abegaz, S., E. Negussie., G. Duguma., and J. E. O. Rege. 2002. Genetic parameter estimates for growth traits in Horro sheep. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 119: 35-45.

2- Akaike H. 1983. Information measures and model selection. Proceedings of the 44th session of the international statistical institute. The Hague, Netherlands, 1: 277-291.

3- Bahreini Behzadi, M. R., F. Eftekhar-Shahroudi., and L. D. Van Vleck. 2007. Estimates of genetic parameters for growth traits in Kermani sheep. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 124(5): 296-301.

4- Baneh, H., S. H. Hafezian., A. Rashidi., and M. Gholizadeh. 2010. Estimation of genetic parameters of body weight traits in Ghezel sheep. Journal of Animal science, 23: 149-153.

5- Beiranvand, F., J. Fayazi., M. T. Beigi –Nasiri., and S. Asadollahi. 2013. Estimation of genetic parameters for growth traits and genetic and phenotypic trends of reproductive traits in the nomadic Lori sheep flocks. Animal Production Research, 2(3):21-30.

6- Boujenane,I., and A. El Hazzab. 2008. Genetic parameters for direct and maternal effects on body weights of Draa goats. Small Ruminant Research, 80:16–21.

7- Dugoma, G., S. J. Schoeman., S. W. P. Cloete., and G. F. Jordaan. 2002. Genetic parameter estimate of early growth traits in the Tygerhoek Merino flock. South African Journal of Animal Science, 32(2): 66-75.

8- Eftekhar-Shahroudi, F., M. R. Bahrini., D. Ven Doulk., and M. Danesh Mesgaran. 2002. The factor affecting some economical traits in Kermani sheep. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Science, 33: 395-402.

9- Elfadilli, M., C. Michaux., J. Detilleux., and P. L. Leroy. 2000. Genetic parameters for growth traits of the Moroccan Timahdit breed of sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 37: 203-208.

10- Ercan Brack, S. K., and A. D. Knight. 1991. Effects of inbreeding on reproduction and wool production of Rambouilet, Targhee and Columbia ewes. Journal of Animal Science, 69(12): 4734 -4744.

11- Geman, S., and D, Geman. 2001. Stochastic relaxation, Gibbs sampling distribution, and the Bayesian restoration of image. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence. 6: 721-741.

12- Ghafouri Kesbi, F., M. Eskandarinasab., and A. Hassanabadi. 2008. Estimation of genetic parameters for lamb weight at various ages in Mehraban sheep. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 7:95-103.

13- Ghavi Hossen zadeh, N., and M. Ardalan. 2010. Estimation of genetic parameters for body weight traits and litter size of Moghani sheep, using a Bayesian approach via Gibbs sampling. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Science, 148:363-370.

14- Gizaw, S., S. Lemma., H. Komen., and J. A. M. Van Arendonk. 2007. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trends for live weight and fleece traits in Menz sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 70: 145-153.

15- Hanford, K. J., L. D. Van Vleck., and G. D. Snowder. 2005. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic change for reproduction, weight, and wool characteristics of Rambouillet sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 57:175-186.

16- Hanford, K.J., L. D. Van Vleck., and G. D. Snowder. 2006. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trend for reproduction, weight, and wool characteristics of Polypay sheep. Livestock Science, 102: 72–82.

17- Jafaroghli, M., A. Rashidi., M. S. Mokhtari., and A. A. Shadparvar. 2010. (Co)Variance components and genetic parameter estimates for growth traits in Moghani sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 91: 170-177.

18- Jasouri1, M., S. Alijani., R. Talebi., and A. Hasanzadeh Seyedi. 2013. Influence of maternal effects on estimation of genetic parameters of growth traits in Ghezel sheep using Bayesian via Gibbs sampling technique. Journal of Animal Science research, 24(1):47-55. (In Persian with English abstract).

19- Jiang, D. I., Y. Zhang., K. Chuang., T. Lazate., L. Jian-Feng., and M. Xin.2011. Estimation of (co)variance components and genetic parameters for growth and wool traits of Chinese superfine merino sheep with the use of a multi-trait animal model. Livestock Science, 138: 278-288.

20- Khaldari, M. 2003. Principles of sheep and goats rearing. First edition. SID Press. Brunch of Tehran.

21- Ligda, C. h., G. Gabriilidis., T. h. Papadopoulos., and A. Georgoudis. 2000.Estimation of genetic parameters for production traits of Chios sheep using a multitrait animal model. Livestock Production Science, 66:217–221.

22- Lotfi Farkhod, M., M. T. Beigi Nasiri., H. Roshanfekr., J. Fayazi., and M. Mamouei, 2010. Genetic parameters for direct and maternal effects on growth traits of Arman Lambs. Iranian Journal of Biological Science, 5(1): 71-74.

23- Maniatis, N., and G. E. Pollott. 2002. Maternal effects on weight and ultrasonically measured traits of lambs in a small closed Suffolk flock. Small Ruminant Research, 45: 235–246.

24- Meyer, K. 2000. DFREML Version 3.1: User notes.

25- Miraei-Ashtiani, S. R., S. A. R. Seyedalian., and M. Moradi Shahrbabak. 2007. Variance components and heritabilities for body weight traits in Sangsari sheep, using univariate and multivariate animal models. Small Ruminant Research, 73:109–114.

26- Mokhtari, M. S., A. Rashidi., and Y. Mohammadi. 2008. Estimation of genetic parameters for post-weaning traits of Kermani sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 80: 22-27.

27- Mottaghinia, G., H. Farhangfar., A. A. Shad-Parvar., and M. Bashtani. 2014. Effect of different animal models on estimate of genetic parameters and trends of some growth traits for Baluchi sheep. Iranian Journal of Animal Science research, 24(2):127-141. (In Persian).

28- Nasholm, A., and O. Danell. 1996. Genetic relationships of lamb weight, maternal ability and mature ewe weight in Swedish Fine wool sheep. Journal of Animal Science, 74: 329-339.

29- Rashedi Dehsahraei, A., J. Fayazi., M. Vatankhah., and M. T. Beige Nasiri. 2013. Estimation of (Co) variance components and genetic parameters for growth traits in Lori-Bakhtiari lambs using a Bayesian approach via Gibbs sampling. Journal of Ruminant Research, 1(2):109-128.

30- Rashidi, A., M. S. Mokhtari., A. S. Jahanshahi., and M. M. R. Abadi. 2008. Genetic parameter estimates of pre-weaning growth traits in Kermani sheep. Small Ruminant Research, 74: 165-171.

31- Safari, A., and N. M. Fogarty. 2003. Genetic Parameters for Sheep Production Traits: Estimates from the Literature. NSW Agriculture & Australian Sheep Industry CRC.

32- Shokrollahi, B., and M. Zandieh. 2012. Estimation of genetic parameters for body weights of Kurdish sheep in various ages using multivariate animal models. African Journal of Biotechnology. 11(8): 2119-2123.

33- Shokrollahi, B., and H. Baneh. 2012. (Co) variance components and genetic parameters for growth traits in arabi sheep using different animal models. Genetics and Molecular Research, 11:305-314.

34- Snyman, M. A., G. J. Erasmus., J. B. Van Wyk., and J. J. Olivier. 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.

35- Van Tassell, C.P., and L. D. Van Vleck. 1995. A Manual for Use of MTGSAM. A Set of FORTRAN Programs to Apply Gibbs Sampling to Animal Models for Variance Component Estimation [DRAFT]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

36- Vatankhah, M., and M. A. Talebi. 2008. Heritability estimates and correlations between production and reproductive traits in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep in Iran. South African Journal of Animal Science, 38: 110-118.

37- 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.