Estimation of genetic parameters for cheese-making traits in Spanish Churra sheep

The global production of sheep milk is growing, and the main industrial use cheese making. Spanish Churra breed one most important native dairy breeds in Spain. present study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for a wide range traits influencing cheese-making ability milk. Using total 1,049 ewes, we studied following traits: 4 related coagulation properties (rennet time, curd-firming curd firmness at 30 60 min after addition rennet), 2 yield (individual laboratory individual dried yield), 3 measuring over time (maximum firmness, attain maximum syneresis). In addition, list traits, including pH several composition (milk yield; fat, protein, extract percentages; somatic cell count), were also analyzed animals. After discarding noncoagulating samples (only 3.7%), data 1,010 ewes with multiple-trait animal models by using restricted likelihood method (co)variance components, heritabilities, correlations. general, heritability estimates low moderate, ranging from 0.08 (for trait) 0.42 fat percentage trait). High correlations found within pairs (i.e., 0.93 between percentages, ?0.93 log min, 0.70 yield, ?0.94 Considering all information provided here, suggest that current consideration protein trait improving inclusion as measured breeding program would represent an efficient strategy this breed.