Abstract :
Genetic parameters for growth, mortality and reproductive performances of Markhoz goats
were estimated from data collected during 1993–2010 at Markhoz goat Performance Testing
Station in Sanandaj, Iran. For kid performance traits 3763 records were available for
birth weight (BW), 2931 for weaning weight (WW), average daily gain (ADG) and Kleiber
ratio (KR) (approximated as ADW/WW0.75) and 3032 for pre-weaning mortality (PWM).
For doe reproductive performance traits there were 2920 records available for litter size at
birth (LSB), litter size at weaning (LSW), total litter weight at birth (TLWB) and litter mean
weight per kid born (LMWKB), and 2182 for total litter weight at weaned (TLWW) and
litter mean weight per kid weaned (LMWKW). Genetic parameters were estimated with
univariate and bivariate models using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedures.
Random effects were explored by fitting additive direct genetic effects, maternal additive
genetic effects, maternal permanent environmental effects, the covariance between direct
and maternal genetic effects, and common litter effects in different models for pre-weaning
traits of kids. Also, in addition to an animal model, sire and threshold models, using a logit
link function, were used for analyses of PWM. Models for LSB, LSW, TLWB, TLWW, LMWKB,
and LMWKW included direct additive genetic effects, permanent environmental effects due
to the animal as well as service sire effects. Estimated direct heritabilities were moderate
for pre-weaning traits (0.22 for BW, 0.16 for WW, 0.21 for ADG, and 0.27 for KR and 0.29 for
PWM), and low for reproduction traits (0.01 for LSB, 0.01 for LSW, 0.02 for TLWB, 0.03 for
TLWW, 0.07 for LMWKB, and 0.06 for LMWKW). The estimates for the maternal additive
genetic variance ratios were lower than direct heritability for BW (0.07) and KR (0.04). The
estimate for the maternal permanent environmental variance ratios (c2) varied from 0.01
for KR to 0.07 for WW and ADG. The magnitude of common litter variance ratios (l2) was
more substantial for BW (0.46) than the PWM (0.19) and KR (0.16). The estimate for the
permanent environmental variance due to the animal (c2) ranged from 0.03 for LMWKB
to 0.07 for TLWB and LMWKW, whereas service sire effects (s2) ranged from 0.02 to 0.04.
The correlation between direct and maternal genetic effects were negative and high for
BW (−0.51) and KR (−0.62). The genetic correlations between pre-weaning growth traits
were positive and moderate to strong, as were genetic correlations between reproductive
traits. Between BW and PWM the correlation was −0.35. Phenotypic and environmental
correlations for all traits were generally lower than genetic correlations.
