Genetic and phenotypic relationships between growth curve parameters in Mehraban sheep

This research was conducted to study genetic and phenotypic relationships between growth curve parameters in Mehraban sheep. The data set used in this study were obtained from the Agricultural Organization of Hamedan province and comprised 35414 body weight records from birth to 365 days of age during 2001to 2011. Parameters of Brody growth model were studied which included A (asymptotic mature weight or average mature weight of animal), B (proportion of asymptotic mature weight to weight gain as a percent of mature weight) and K (growth rate until reaching to mature weight). Fixed factors affecting on growth curve parameters were identified using the GLM procedure of SAS software. The model of genetic analysis included direct genetic effect, maternal genetic effect, maternal permanent environmental effect and covariance between direct genetic and maternal genetic effects. To estimate genetic relationship between growth curve parameters, Bayesian method based on Gibbs sampling was used. Direct heritabilities for growth curve parameters of A, B and K were 0.29, 0.63 and 0.27, respectively. Direct genetic correlation between A and B was positive and high (0.58), which indicates that these traits are aligned with each other while the correlations between B and K (-0.69) and between A and K (-0.54) were negative. The results indicated that improvement of growth curve parameters of Mehraban sheep is possible in selection programs. Therefore, it is worthwhile to propose an optimum selection strategy for obtaining appropriate growth curve in Mehraban sheep through changing genetically the model parameters.