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Bayesian estimates for genetic and phenotypic parameters of growth traits in Sahiwal cattle

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Abstract

Analyses were carried out for the estimation of (co)variance components and genetic parameters for birth weight (BWT), 6-month weight (6WT), 12-month weight (12WT), 18-month weight (18WT), 24-month weight (24WT), 30-month weight (30WT), 36-month weight (36WT), weight at first service (WFS), and weight at first calving(WFC) in Sahiwal cattle. Data for 802 lifetime records (raw data) were collected over a period of 30 years (1990–2019) for various growth traits in the herd for Sahiwal cows maintained at the livestock farm unit of ICAR-NDRI Karnal, Haryana, India. Bayesian estimates using the multi-trait Gibbs sampling animal model approach were calculated in the present study. Total heritability for BWT, 6WT, 12WT, 18WT, 24WT, 30WT, 36WT, WFS, and WFC by Bayesian modeling was estimated as 0.22 ± 0.0052, 0.47 ± 0.0037, 0.30 ± 0.0025, 0.65 ± 0.0021, 0.32 ± 0.0039, 0.33 ± 0.0027, 0.39 ± 0.0031, 0.49 ± 0.0020, and 0.57 ± 0.0023, respectively, along with its Monte Carlo error in Sahiwal cattle. Direct genetic covariances between body weight traits were ranging from − 2762.5 for 18WT and WFC to 4739.6 between WFS and WFC. Environmental covariances were ranging from − 169.98 for 30WT and 36WT to 4539.4 between WFS and WFC. Family relationships as well as the existing interaction effects between two or more traits in opposite direction effect lead to negative estimates for genetic covariances between some of the combinations with various growth traits. Although most of the estimates for posteriori were somewhat skewed, the marginalization effect enabled them to fit into the Gaussian distribution, by comparing the mean, mode, and median with each other. Results suggest that genetic progress through growth traits can be achieved if the selection is carried out for highly heritable 18-month weight as well as for the selection of pubertal and fertility traits, viz., 24WT, 30WT, 36WT, WFS, and WFC with a balanced feeding and optimum management.

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The data generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the director, ICAR-NDRI, for constant moral support and providing all the facilities to carry out this work; the Livestock Research Station for providing first-hand access to recorded information; and ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, Haryana, for financial support to the first author for this research work.

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The authors thankfully acknowledge the research grant received from ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, Haryana, India, for carrying out this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Genetics and Breeding Division, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, India

    Nistha Yadav, Satish Kumar Illa, Sabyasachi Mukherjee & Anupama Mukherjee

  2. Department of LPM, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, RAJUVAS, Bikaner, India

    Gayatri Gujar

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  1. Nistha Yadav
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NY carried out the research work and finalized the manuscript; SM and SI helped with data analysis; GG helped in manuscript drafting, visualization, and manuscript preparation; and AM conceptualized the study. SM and AM edited the manuscript. All authors approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nistha Yadav or Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

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Yadav, N., Illa, S.K., Mukherjee, S. et al. Bayesian estimates for genetic and phenotypic parameters of growth traits in Sahiwal cattle. Trop Anim Health Prod 55, 30 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-022-03446-7

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