فراسنجه‌های ژنتیکی صفات بیومتریک در گوسفندان مغانی

      The present study aimed to estimate the genetic for parameters of biometric traits in Iranian Moghani-sheep breeds. The data set consisted 15115 biometric records from 3702 individual progenies of 499 male and 3203 female, involve for a 15 years period (1996 to 2011). obtained from Moghani sheep breeding and raising station. Variance components and genetic parameters were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood (REML)-methods by WOMBAT software. Six different animal models were fitted and the best model for each trait determined by Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). All traits were significantly (P<0.01) influenced by year of birth, sex of the lamb and birth type. Using best model fitted for each trait, direct heritability was estimated as 0.10, 0.04, 0.16, 0.11 and 0.37 for height at withers, height at rump, body length, heart girth and leg circumference, respectively. Using bivariate analysis, the estimates of additive genetic correlations ranged from -0.55 (between BL and LC) to 0.99 (between HW and HR). The estimates of genetic parameters in particular the heritabilities of biometric traits revealed that there is enough genetic diversity in Moghani breed hence, it was hoped that breeding programwould be successful in this breed. The findings of the present study can be used as a criterion for other Iranian breeds especially those have a similar management system as Moghani sheep breeding station.