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Genetic and Phenotypic Parameter Estimates Involving Economically Important Traits in Sheep¹

Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg

Abstract

Data on 884 backcross lambs collected over a 6-year period at the Shenandoah Valley Research Station, Steeles Tavern, Virginia, were used to estimate heritabilities and phenotypic and genetic correlations in five lamb traits.

Estimates were derived separately for lambs born and raised as singles and lambs born and raised as twins. Heritability estimates were consistently larger using the paternal half-sib data. This greater dissimilarity of sibs in the full-sib analyses of variance, as measured through the sire component, is interpreted as arising from prenatal and postnatal competition between the twin lambs. Large differences were also found in estimates of the genetic correlation between traits. Agreement between corresponding estimates of the phenotypic correlations was good.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director,Agriculture and Life Sciences, V.P.I. Research Division. Contribution from Southern Regional Research Project S-29.

² Department of Animal Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg.

³ Superintendent, Shenandoah Valley Research Station, Steeles Tavern.