Heritabilities and common litter effects estimated by an animal model for post-weaning growth traits in new zealand white and baladi red rabbits
Abstract: A total of 643 weaned rabbits of New Zealand White and 448 of Baladi Red were used to evaluated genetically pcst- weaning growth performance of these two breeds. Post- weaning body weights at 6.8.10 and 12 weeks of age and weight gains at the intervals of 6-8, 8-10 and 10-12 weeks were studied. Data were analyzed for each breed separately using single-trait animal model to estimate direct additive effects (i.e. direct heritabilites), common litter effect and residual variance.
?Proportions of common litter effects (c2) were moderate or high and ranging from 0.18 to 0.62 in New Zealand White ,while they were Low or moderate and ranging from 0.06 to 0.28 in baladi Red rabbits. These proportions of c2 in New Zealand white were higher than in Baladi Red rabbits. For New Zealand White in paraticular, estimates of c2 were higher than those of direct additive effects and error effects (e2) reflecting that post-weaning body weights and gains could be affected considerably by common maternal environment. Direct additive heritabilities (h2a) for body weights in Baladi Red were slightly higher than those in New Zealand white. The estimates for body weights at 6.8.10 and 12 weeks of age and gains at intervals of 6-8,8-10 and 10-12 weeks being 0.18. 0.20 0.23. 0.23.0.20.0.33 and 0.31 and 0.31 in Baladi Red relative to 0.12,0.16, 0.18, 0.21, 0.26, 0.31 and 0.35 in New Zealand white, respectively. Standard errors for proportions of direct additive, common litter effects and error were mostly relatively reliable and ranging from 0.01 to 0.14. Inclusion of common litter effects in the animal model of analysis for post-weaning growth traits leads to reductions in proportions of error (e2) to be from 0.25 to 0.49 in New Zealand White and from 0.53 to 0.69 in Baladi Red rabbits
Keywords: Rabbits, growth traits, common, litter effects, baladi red rabbits, hertability.
Publication year 2004
Pages 205-216
Availability location 7 شارع نادى الصيد-الدقى(معهد بحوث الانتاج الحيوانى)
Availability number
Organization Name
City الاسكندرية
serial title Egypt. Poult. Sci.
Department Rabbit, Turkey and Water Fowl Research Department
Author(s) from ARC
Agris Categories Animal husbandry
AGROVOC
TERMS		 Animal models. Heritability. Litter size. Rabbits.
Publication Type Journal
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