HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Piles, M. Articles by Blasco, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Piles, M. Articles by Blasco, A.

Elliptical selection experiment for the estimation of genetic parameters of the growth rate and feed conversion ratio in rabbits¹

M. Piles^*,2, E. A. Gomez^*,3, O. Rafel^*, J. Ramon^* and A. Blasco^,4

^* IRTA—Unitat de Cunicultura, Torre Marimón s/n., Barcelona, Spain and and Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia 46071, Spain

² Correspondence: IRTA-08140 Caldes de Montbuí (phone: +34 93 865 1011; fax: +34 93 865 3777; e-mail: miriam.piles{at}irta.es).

Abstract

Two elliptical selection experiments were performed in two contemporary sire lines of rabbits (C and R) in order to optimize the experimental design for estimating the genetic parameters of the growth rate (GR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Twelve males and 19 females from line C, and 13 males and 23 females from line R, were selected from an ellipse defined by a quadratic index based on these traits. Data from 160 rabbits of each of the parental generations of lines C and R and their offspring (275 and 266 animals, respectively) were used for the analysis. A Bayesian framework was adopted for inference. Marginal posterior distributions of the genetic parameters were obtained by Gibbs sampling. An animal model including batch, parity order, litter size, and common environmental litter effects was assumed. Posterior means (posterior standard deviations) for heritabilities of GR and FCR were estimated to be 0.31 (0.10) and 0.31 (0.10), respectively, in line C and 0.21 (0.08) and 0.25 (0.12) in line R. Posterior means of the proportion of the variance due to common litter environmental effects were 0.14 (0.06) and 0.21 (0.06) for GR and FCR, respectively, in line C and 0.17 (0.06) and 0.22 (0.06) in line R. Posterior means of genetic correlation between both traits were -0.49 (0.25) in line C and -0.47 (0.32) in line R, indicating that selection for GR was expected to result in a similar correlated response in FCR in both lines.

Key Words: Bayesian Theory • Elliptical Selection • Feed Conversion Ratio • Genetic Parameters • Growth Rate • Rabbit

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Piles, M. Garcia-Tomas, O. Rafel, J. Ramon, N. Ibanez-Escriche, and L. Varona Individual efficiency for the use of feed resources in rabbits J Anim Sci, November 1, 2007; 85(11): 2846 - 2853. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Gondret, C. Larzul, S. Combes, and H. de Rochambeau Carcass composition, bone mechanical properties, and meat quality traits in relation to growth rate in rabbits J Anim Sci, July 1, 2005; 83(7): 1526 - 1535. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]