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Genetics of sheep health traits
The objective to this study was to quantify the genetic variation in foot lesion scores, fecal egg count (FEC) and dag score, and to examine the relationship between lamb health and performance. Lamb health events (n=20,581) were recorded across 29 crossbred flocks. Lamb performance data were also recorded. Low heritabilities were recorded for foot lesion scores (0.08 ± 0.01), FEC (0.18 ± 0.04) and dag score (0.08 ± 0.01). With the exception of the genetic correlation between foot lesion scores and FEC, phenotypic and genetic correlations recorded between the health traits were weak and close to zero. Negative genetic correlations were recorded between feet lesion score and lamb weights. Unfavorable genetic correlations were recorded between FEC and lamb weights; in contrast favorable genetic correlations were recorded between ultrasound and FEC data. The genetic correlations between dag score and lamb weight were weak but negative.
Keywords:
sheep
health
genetics
