Genetic relationships between dagginess, breech bareness, and wool traits in New Zealand dual-purpose sheep.

Genetic parameters for production traits in New Zealand dual-purpose sheep, with an emphasis on dagginess.

Genetic and phenotypic parameters were estimated for production and disease traits (including dagginess) from about 2 million pedigree-recorded animals born between 1990 and 2008 in New Zealand dual-purpose ram breeding flocks. This is the most comprehensive study of genetic parameter estimates for the New Zealand sheep industry to date and includes estimates that have not previously been repor...

Crossbreeding of iranian fat-tailed sheep V. the phenotypic relationships between some growth traits and wool production

Genetic parameters among weight, prolificacy, and wool traits of Columbia, Polypay, Rambouillet, and Targhee sheep.

Genetic parameters for Columbia, Polypay, Rambouillet, and Targhee sheep were estimated using REML with animal models for prolificacy, weight, and wool traits. All bivariate analyses included a covariance between additive genetic effects for the two traits plus appropriate additional covariances. Number of observations by breed ranged from 5,140 to 7,095 for prolificacy traits, from 7,750 to 9,...

Genetic Relationships between Indicator Traits for Fly Strike Resistance and Production Traits in Merino Sheep

Fly strike in sheep has been estimated to cost the Australian sheep industry approximately $280m dollars annually (Sackett et al. 2006) as a result of sheep losses, cost of treatment and loss of wool and carcase production and value. Historically Australian sheep producers have surgically removed skin from around the tail (mulesing) to help avoid fly strike. Although this has proved highly succ...

Sheep - Meat RATES OF GENETIC GAIN IN NEW ZEALAND SHEEP

Rates of genetic gain in New Zealand sheep doubled in 140 Dual Purpose flocks, from 30 to 60 cents/yr, and 62 Terminal Sire flocks, from 35 to 60 cents/yr, after establishment of the Sheep Improvement Ltd (SIL) genetic evaluation system in 1999. Further incremental gains of a similar magnitude led to triple the rates of gain pre-SIL after establishment of the Meat & Wool New Zealand Central Pro...