Dash Spandan Shashwat, Bangar Yogesh C, Magotra Ankit, Patil C S
Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Lala Lajpat rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, India.
J Anim Breed Genet. 2025 May;142(3):342-353. doi: 10.1111/jbg.12909. Epub 2024 Nov 1.
Understanding the genetic basis of growth and metabolic traits in sheep is crucial for improving production efficiency and sustainability. The current study aimed to estimate the genetic influences, both direct and maternal, on growth rate and Kleiber's ratio traits in Harnali sheep using pedigree data under Bayesian inference. The data pertained to 2404 animals spanned over 24 years (1998-2021). Fixed factors such as birth period, lamb sex and dam's weight at lambing were considered. The traits studied included average daily gains (ADGs) categorised into ADG1 (birth to weaning age), ADG2 (weaning to 6 months of age) and ADG3 (6-12 months of age), as well as corresponding Kleiber's ratios (KR1, KR2 and KR3). Six single-trait animal models were employed to estimate covariance components and heritabilities, integrating direct additive and maternal effects alongside significant fixed factors using THRGIBBS1F90 and POSTGIBBSF90 programmes. Direct heritability estimates were obtained for ADG1 (0.11 ± 0.05), ADG2 (0.06 ± 0.03), ADG3 (0.03 ± 0.03), KR1 (0.07 ± 0.03), KR2 (0.06 ± 0.03) and KR3 (0.05 ± 0.03). Maternal genetic effects have contributed significant particularly to pre-weaning traits. The study identified an antagonistic relationship between direct additive and maternal genetic effects. Positive genetic and phenotypic correlations emphasised the intricate relationship between growth and metabolic efficiency in Harnali sheep. The current study offers critical insights into the genetic basis of growth and metabolic traits in Harnali sheep, ultimately contributing to more efficient and sustainable sheep production systems.
了解绵羊生长和代谢性状的遗传基础对于提高生产效率和可持续性至关重要。当前的研究旨在利用贝叶斯推理下的系谱数据，估计哈纳利绵羊生长率和克莱伯比率性状的直接和母体遗传影响。数据涉及2404只动物，跨越24年（1998年至2021年）。考虑了出生时期、羔羊性别和产羔时母羊体重等固定因素。研究的性状包括分为ADG1（出生至断奶年龄）、ADG2（断奶至6月龄）和ADG3（6至12月龄）的平均日增重（ADG），以及相应的克莱伯比率（KR1、KR2和KR3）。采用六个单性状动物模型来估计协方差分量和遗传力，使用THRGIBBS1F90和POSTGIBBSF90程序整合直接加性效应和母体效应以及显著的固定因素。获得了ADG1（0.11±0.05）、ADG2（0.06±0.03）、ADG3（0.03±0.03）、KR1（0.07±0.03）、KR2（0.06±0.03）和KR3（0.05±0.03）的直接遗传力估计值。母体遗传效应尤其对断奶前性状有显著贡献。该研究确定了直接加性效应和母体遗传效应之间的拮抗关系。正的遗传和表型相关性强调了哈纳利绵羊生长和代谢效率之间的复杂关系。当前的研究为哈纳利绵羊生长和代谢性状的遗传基础提供了关键见解，最终有助于建立更高效和可持续的绵羊生产系统。
