A black sheep in the nuclear family.

Evaluation of SCD and FASN Gene Expression in Baluchi, Iran-Black, and Arman Sheep

Background: With the increasing concern for health and nutrition, dietary fat has attracted considerable attention. The composition of fatty acids in the diet is important because they are associated with major diseases including cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (delta-9-desaturase) (SCD) genes affect fatty acid compositio...

Inbreeding effects on lamb pre-weaning growth traits and survival in three Iranian sheep breeds

The present study was performed to study the effect of inbreeding on the pre-weaning growth traits including the birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), average daily gain (ADG), Kleiber ratio (KR) and lamb survival from birth to weaning (SUR) in Baluchi, Iran-Black and Zandi sheep. Significant positive inbreeding trends were found only for Baluchi and Iran-Black breeds as 0.038 and 0.278, resp...

Genetic parameter estimates of body weight traits in Iran-Black sheep

The objective of the current study was to estimate the genetic parameters for body weight traits at different ages in Iran-Black sheep. Data collected during a 24-year period (1984-2008) on body weight were used to model the growth trajectory and estimate genetic parameters. Studied traits were birth weight (BW), weaning weight at 3 months of age (WW), 6 months weight (6MW), 9 months weight (9M...

Environmental and Genetic Factors Affecting Early Growth Traits in Three Yemeni Indigenous Sheep Breeds

The data were collected from 1992 to 2009 in Burri, White Boni and Black Boni sheep maintained at the Regional Research Station in the Central Highlands of Yemen. Data were analyzed to study the effects of environmental and genetic factors on body weight and growth rate from birth to weaning. The least square means for body weights (BW) were 2.54, 2.18 and 2.26 kg for birth; 12.49, 10.58 and 11...

Isolation and typing of Clostridium oedematiens (Cl. novyi) from cases of black disease of sheep in Iran