Estimation of genetic parameters and trends for body weight traits in age's birth to yearling in Kurdi sheep of North Khorasan

This study was performed to compare different models for estimation of direct and maternal heritability and also for obtaining of genetic trend for body weight traits in Kurdi sheep of North Khorasan. The records of body weight in birth (BW, 7345 records), 3-month (3W, 5905 records), 6-month (6W ,5294 records), 9-month (9W, 3800 records) and 12-month (12W, 3863 records) weight that collected during 1990 to 2013 by Sheep Breeding Station of Shirvan were used. Estimation of genetic parameters for different traits by using of six animal models was carried out by ThrGibbsf90 software. The most suitable model for each trait was determined based on Deviance Information Criterion (DIC). The estimates of direct heritability for BW, 3W, 6W, 9W and 12W traits were 0.172± 0.0007, .0.257± 0.0007, 0.351± 0.0006, 0.120± 0.0007 and 0.131± 0.0009, respectively. In this study, the material genetic effect was significant for BW, 3W and 6W traits (P