Estimation of genetic parameters of some of growth traits in Lori-Bakhtiari lambs of Khuzestan province with considering the maternal effects

Estimation of animal breeding and management in past time is taken to measure the genetic parameters and management programs and design of programs for the future.
The object of the present study was to estimate of genetic parameters with considering the maternal effects on growth traits in Lori-Bakhtiari lambs of Khuzestan province. The present study using pedigree information and record of body weight during the years 2006 to 2011 were collected by Jahad Agriculture Khuzestan using was conducted. The studied traits were body weight at birth (BW), weaning weight (WW) and six-month weight (6MW) and 7238, 6941 and 6663 record for these traits, respectively.
The data editing is done using the software FOXPRO 16 and the estimate the effect of environmental factors of procedure GLM Software SAS 9.1. Environmental factors like birth year, sex, type of birth and age of mother on lambing time had significant effect on traits. The variances and genetic parameters were estimated by Bayesian via Gibbs, with and without maternal effects and done software MTGSAM and finally best model was determined using the Akaike information criterion for each trait.
Based on the best model, for birth weight was model has a direct genetic effect and maternal permanent environmental effect (model 2) and for weaning weight and six-month weight traits the model contains a direct genetic effect, maternal genetic and maternal permanent environmental (model 6 and 5). Estimated direct heritability BW, WW and 6 MW 0.32, 0.18 and 0.25, respectively.
Considering results of present study maternal effects gives accounted of variation in body growth Lori-Bakhtiari sheep, and lead to more accurate estimates of the variance components and heritability.