Comparison of sire rams of the Latvian Dark-Head breed according to feed efficiency indicators as the beginning of genomic breeding research
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Kuupäev
2023
Kättesaadav alates
Autorid
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Estonian University of Life Sciences
Abstrakt
In sheep (Ovis aries) farming, feed costs are the largest variable cost component.
Breeders are showing an increased interest in breeding sire rams with improved feed efficiency
characteristics because of the possibility that the offspring will have a higher value of this
indicator. The result shows that for one ram, the progeny indicators tend to be variable. Currently,
no marker has successfully explained enough of the variability of feed efficiency that they were
used as part of a routine improvement program. The aim is to analyze feed efficiency indicators
for lambs of sire rams of Latvian Dark-Head (LT; Latvijas tumšgalve) to identify sire rams
producing lambs with potentially higher feed efficiency. Fattening data of 48 lambs from 13 sire
rams were analyzed to determine the correlation of feed efficiency parameters. The average
weight of lambs at birth was 4.08 ± 0.56 kg, while the average weight gain reached
47.43 ± 3.17 kg with an average fattening period of 73.27 ± 8.90 days. A strong and very strong
correlation between the studied indicators of feed efficiency was revealed. The correlation
between these indicators and live weight gain over for 60 days indicates their economic
importance in meat production. Certain phenotypic and genotypic factors cause the influence on
their value. The phenotypic influence may consist of environmental and external signs, but the
genotypic influence is at the DNA level, which requires further study.
Kirjeldus
Received: January 30th, 2023 ; Accepted: April 27th, 2023 ; Published: April 29th, 2023 ; Correspondence: ilva.trapina@lu.lv
Märksõnad
feed efficiency, lambs, Latvian Dark–Head, selection, sire rams, articles