Environmental and genetic aspects of survival and early liveweight in Western Australian Merino sheep

Abstract

(Co)variance estimates for birth weight, pre-weaning lamb survival and weaning weight were obtained for Merino lambs derived from 16 bloodlines. Between bloodline variance ratios (± s.e.) amounted to 0.10 ± 0.04 for lamb birth weight, 0.053 ± 0.036 for lamb survival (logit scale) and 0.18 ± 0.07 for lamb weaning weight. Direct additive genetic variances for weaning weight - expressed as a ratio of the total phenotypic variance within bloodlines (h2, direct heritability) - were estimated at 0.18 ± 0.02 for birth weight, 0.094 ± 0.020 (logit scale) for pre-weaning survival and 0.30 ± 0.02 for weaning weight. Corresponding maternal genetic variance ratios (m2) were estimated at 0.15 ± 0.02 for birth weight and 0.08 ± 0.02 for weaning weight. It was not significant in the case of lamb survival. Maternal permanent environmental variance ratios (c2) amounted to 0.08 ± 0.02 for birth weight, 0.044 ± 0.018 for lamb survival (logit scale) and 0.07 ± 0.02 for weaning weight. These results were discussed with reference to sheep production. (South African Journal of Animal Science, 2001, 31(2): 123-130)