Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bayesian estimation of the genetic relationship of survival traits from birth to yearling age with birth weight in Guilan sheep

  • Regular Articles
  • Published:
Tropical Animal Health and Production Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for cumulative survival traits from birth to yearling age and to estimate their genetic relationship with birth weight in Guilan sheep. The dataset used in this study comprised 41,037 survival records of Guilan lambs born from 496 sires and 10,256 dams, collected by the Guilan Province Agricultural Jihad Organization (in Rasht, Iran) during 1990–2013. The data included complete pedigree information; gender; year, month, and day of death; dam age; year, month, and day of birth; birth type; and birth weight. Cumulative survival traits from birth to yearling age were analyzed using threshold animal models via the Bayesian method. Also, linear-threshold animal models were used to study the genetic relationship between survival at different ages and birth weight. Direct heritability estimates of cumulative survival from birth to 60, 90, 180, 270, and 365 days of age were low and equal to 0.17, 0.16, 0.08, 0.04, and 0.04, respectively, and the corresponding maternal heritability estimates were 0.21, 0.18, 0.15, 0.08 and 0.08, respectively. Mean estimates of direct genetic correlations between birth weight and survival traits were medium (from 0.22 to 0.28). To improve the survival traits, more emphasis must be put on the amelioration of the non-genetic factors affecting it. Indirect selection based on traits high genetically correlated with survival could increase the survival rate in Guilan lambs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asefi, Y., 2012. Estimation of genetic parameters of survival and birth weight in Moghani sheep. MSc. Thesis, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Iran.

  • Aslaminejad, A.A., Saghi, D.A., Dashab, Gh.R., Zabetian, M., 2011. Evaluation of environmental effect on Baluchi lamb survival between birth day and weaning. Iranian Journal of Animal Science Research, 3(3), 292-296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahri BinaBaj, F., Tahmoorespur, M., Aslaminejad, A. A., Vatankhah, M., 2013. Determination of the best birth weight for survival to weaning in Karakul breed lambs. Animal Production Research, 2(1), 53-63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barazandeh, A., Molaei Moghbeli, S., Vatankhah, M., Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N., 2012. Lamb survival analysis from birth to weaning in Iranian Kermani sheep. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 44, 929–934.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barwick, S.A., Leymaster, K.A., Keele, J.W., Harvey, W.R., 1990. Estimates of genetic parameters for lamb survival to weaning and birth weight in the U.S. Suffolk. Proceedings of the eighth conference of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Hamilton and Palmerston North, New Zealand, 331–334.

  • Brien, F.D., Hebart, M.L., Smith, D.H., Hocking Edwards, J.E., Greeff, J.C., Hart, K.W., Refshauge, G., Bird-Gardiner, T.L., Gaunt, G., Behrendt, R., Robertson, M.W., Hinch, G.N., Geenty, K.G., van der Werf, J.H.J., 2010. Opportunities for genetic improvement of lamb survival. Animal Production Science, 50, 1017-1025.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De, K., Swarnkar, C.P., Prince, L.L.L., Ali, S.F., 2019. Interrelationship between late gestational ewe factor and early life lamb factors in semi-arid tropical region. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 51(1), 249-255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eteqadi, B., Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N., Shadparvar, A.A., 2014. Population structure and inbreeding effects on body weight traits of Guilan sheep in Iran. Small Ruminant Research, 119, 45-51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Everett-Hincks, J.M., Mathias-Davis, H.C., Greer, G.J., Auvray, B.A., Dodds, K.G., 2014. Genetic parameters for lamb birth weight, survival and death risk traits. Journal of Animal Science, 92, 2885–2895.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fogarty, N.M., 1995. Genetic parameters for live weight, fat and muscle measurements, wool production and reproduction in sheep: a review. Animal Breeding Abstracts, 63(3), 101-143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gama, L.T., Dickerson, G.E., Young, L.D., Leymaster, K.A., 1991. Genetic and phenotypic variation in sources of preweaning lamb mortality. Journal of Animal Science, 69, 2744-2753.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N., 2011. Genetic parameters and trends for calving interval in the first three lactations of Iranian Holsteins. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 43, 1111-1115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N., 2014. Effect of dystocia on the productive performance and calf stillbirth in Iranian Holsteins. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 16, 69-78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N., Ardalan, M., 2010. Comparison of different models for the estimation of genetic parameters of body weight traits in Moghani sheep. Agricultural and Food Science, 19, 207-213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N., Noori, R., Shadparvar, A.A., 2018. Genetic analysis of longevity and lamb survival from birth to yearling in Moghani sheep. Journal of Applied Animal Research, 46(1), 1363-1369.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gianola, D., 1982. Theory and analysis of threshold characters. Journal of Animal Science, 54, 1079–1096.

  • Hatcher, S., Atkins, K.D., Safari, E., 2010. Lamb survival in Australian merino sheep: A genetic analysis. Journal of Animal Science, 88, 3198-3205.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kandiwa, E., Nguarambuka, U., Chitate, F. et al. 2020. Production performance of sheep and goat breeds at a farm in a semi-arid region of Namibia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 52, 2621–2629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Legarra, A., Varona, L., Lopez de Maturana, E., 2011. TM user’s guide. http://snp.toulouse.inra.fr/~alegarra/manualtm.pdf. Accessed Oct. 26, 2020.

  • Lopez-Villalobos, N., Garrick, D.J., 1999. Genetic parameter estimates for survival in Romany sheep. Proceedings of New Zealand Society of Animal Production, 58, 121-124.

  • Mehrotra, A., Pannu, U., Chopra, A. et al. 2020. Genetic parameter estimates for reproductive traits in Chokla ewes of India. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 52, 2259–2264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris, C.A., Hickey, S.M., Clarke, J.N., 2000. Genetic and environmental factors affecting lamb survival at birth and through to weaning. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 43, 515- 524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadaf Fahmideh, M., Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N., Golshani, M., 2016. Study of factors affecting longevity and survival of Iranian Guilan sheep using linear and non-linear models. Iranian Journal of Applied Animal Science, 6(3), 123-126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nouri, R., 2013. Analysis of survival from birth to yearling in Moghani lambs. MSc. Thesis. Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan.

  • Pettigrew, E.J., Hickson, R.E., Blair, H.T., Griffiths, K.J., Ridler, A.L., Morris, S.T., Kenyon, P.R., 2020. Differences in lamb production between ewe lambs and mature ewes. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/00288233.2020.1713177.

  • Safari, E., Fogarty, N.M., Gilmour, A.R., 2005. A review of genetic parameter estimates for wool, growth, meat and reproduction traits in sheep. Livestock Production Science, 92, 271-289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samadi, S., Hemati, B., Honarvar, M., Farahvash, T., 2013. Estimation of (co) variance components for body weight traits using random regression model in Zandi sheep. Animal Science and Research Journal, 11, 35-42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawalha, R.M., Conington, J., Brotherstone, S., Villanueva, B., 2007. Analysis of lamb survival of Scottish Blackface sheep. Animal, 1, 151-157.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sisakhti, D., Vatankhah, M., Mirzaei, H.R., Yousef Elahi, M., Hosseinpour Mashhadi, M., 2009. Estimation of some environmental factors and genetic parameters of survival in Lori Bakhtiari lambs. Animal Science Journal (Pajouhesh & Sazandegi), 84, 65-70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B.J., 2005. Bayesian Output Analysis Program (BOA) for MCMC, Version 1.1.8-2. https://rdrr.io/cran/boa/. Accessed Oct. 26, 2020.

  • Süß, R., Siersleben, K., Rösler, H.J., Döring, L., 2004. Analysis of the economic situation of sheep farms in Saxony-Anhalt. Archiv für Tierzucht, 47, 135-141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, D.L., 2010. Performance and utilization of northern European shorttailed breeds of sheep and their crosses in North America: a review. Animal, 4, 1283-1296.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • VanRaden, P.M., Powell, R.L., 2002. Properties of international longevity evaluations and correlations with other traits. 29th Interbull Meeting, Interlaken, Schweiz. Interbull Bulletin, 29, 61-65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vatankhah, M., 2005. Defining a proper breeding scheme for Lori-Bakhtiari sheep in village system. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Tehran, Iran.

  • Vatankhah, M., 2013. Estimation of the genetic parameters for survival rate in Lori-Bakhtiari lambs using linear and Weibull proportional hazard models. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 15, 1133-1143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vatankhah, M., Talebi, M.A., 2009. Genetic and non-genetic factors affecting mortality in Lori-Bakhtiari lambs. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science, 22, 459–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Agriculture Jihad Organization of Guilan Province in Iran for providing the data used in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P. O. Box: 41635-1314, Rasht, Iran

    Matin Nadaf Fahmideh & Navid Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh

  2. Agriculture Jihad Organization of Guilan Province, Rasht, Iran

    Mohammad Golshani

Authors
  1. Matin Nadaf Fahmideh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Navid Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mohammad Golshani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MNF participated in the acquisition of data and statistical and genetic analyses of data and drafted the manuscript. NGH designed and conceived this study and contributed to the statistical and genetic analyses of data and writing of the manuscript. MG assisted with the preparation and interpretation of data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Navid Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data.

Competing interests/Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nadaf Fahmideh, M., Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N. & Golshani, M. Bayesian estimation of the genetic relationship of survival traits from birth to yearling age with birth weight in Guilan sheep. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 134 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02576-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02576-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation