the objective of the present study was to estimate genetic parameters and genetic trends of growth traits , fleece weight and reproductive traits. data collected from 1993 to 2007 by the kermani breeding station were analyzed .traits were included birth weight (bw, n=2614), 3 months weight (3mw,n=2312), 6 months weight (6mw, n=1890), 9 months weight (9mw,n=1380) and 12 months weight (12mw,n=105...

Total litter weight weaned at 120 d postpartum per ewe lambing is often believed to be a measure of range ewe productivity. Genetic correlations for litter weight weaned at 120 d with prolificacy, growth, and wool traits for Columbia, Polypay, Rambouillet, and Targhee sheep were estimated using REML with animal models. Observations per breed ranged from 5,140 to 7,083 for litter weight weaned, ...

Birth and weaning weights were studied for purebred Finnsheep, Suffolk, Targhee and Minnesota 100; F1 Finnsheep crosses; F2: and standard breed and Finnsheep backcrosses. Finnsheep lambs were the smallest of all lambs at birth, but ranked second among purebreds in 70-day weaning weight (Suffolks, 21.0 kg vs Finnsheep, 17.6 kg). Ewe body weight, grease fleece production and total adjusted weight...

An experiment was conducted to describe the characteristics of Angora rabbit fiber using optical fiber diameter analyzer (OFDA). A total of 349 fleece samples were collected from 60 French Angora rabbits. Recorded measurements of OFDA were as follows: mean fiber diameter, CV of fiber diameter, comfort factor, spinning fineness, mean fiber curvature, SD of fiber curvature, mean opacity of fibers...

Data from the Montana State University Targhee flock were used to estimate genetic and environmental relationships between lamb BW and adult ewe BW, condition score, and prolificacy. The flock was managed under commercial western range conditions typical of the area. Data included records from 12,154 lambs born to 2,930 dams and 200 rams between 1960 and 2005. Lamb traits included BW at birth a...

This paper reviews genetics of fibre production and fleece characteristics in small ruminants, Angora rabbit and South American camelids with a special distinction between single-coated (SC) and double-coated (DC) species. Considering the biology of fibre production, there are variations in coat composition and structure, fibre growth pattern and fibre structure and quality between these two ma...

BACKGROUND Fleece rot (FR) and body-strike of Merino sheep by the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina are major problems for the Australian wool industry, causing significant losses as a result of increased management costs coupled with reduced wool productivity and quality. In addition to direct effects on fleece quality, fleece rot is a major predisposing factor to blowfly strike on the body of she...

A pedigree file consisting of 5860 individuals, 167 sires and 1582 dams collected at Makooei sheep breeding station (MSBS) during a period of 24 years (1990 to 2013) was used to calculate the inbreeding coefficients to reveal any probable effects of inbreeding (F) on the studied traits. The studied traits were classified to the five main groups including body weight, Kleiber ratio, body measure...

Quantitative measurements of blood flow (BF) to skin and several other tissues were made using radioactive microspheres in conscious sheep. The sheep were from established flocks that had been selectively bred for greater (Fleece plus) or lesser (Fleece minus) wool production. The BF rate per unit area of wool-bearing skin was significantly greater in the Fleece plus (n = 9) than in the Fleece ...

A quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of wool traits from experimental half-sib data of Merino sheep is presented. A total of 617 animals distributed in 10 families were genotyped for 36 microsatellite markers on four ovine chromosomes OAR1, OAR3, OAR4 and OAR11. The markers covering OAR3 and OAR11 were densely spaced, at an average distance of 2.8 and 1.2 cM, respectively. Body weight and w...