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Within-farm estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters for growth and reproductive traits for red deer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

C. McManus
C. McManus
Affiliation:
AFRC Roslin Institute(Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS‡
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Abstract

Genetic and phenotypic parameters were estimated for farmed red deer on eight farms distributed throughout the United Kingdom. Genetic parameters were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) analysis. Heritabilities for date of calving were low on seven of the eight farms (< 0–05), while repeatabilities were low to moderate (0·06 to 0·37). Heritabilities of all weights tended to be moderate to high on most farms (0·31 to 0·49; 0·22 to 0·89; 0·33 to 0·48; 0·37 to 0·45 and 0·37 to 0·90 for birth weight, weaning weight, mid-winter weight, turn-out weight and other weights respectively). The exception was farm 8 for which heritability estimates were very low (<0·08). This is attributed to inbreeding effects on this farm. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between post-weaning traits tended to be high, indicating selection at any stage of growth will be expected to lead to an increased growth at the other stages. Animals whose bloodlines originated in the forests of Eastern Europe (Yugoslavia, Hungary, Germany) were heavier at all stages indicating their usefulness as ‘terminal sire’ breeds. Hinds of mainland ‘European’ parentage also tended to calve earlier.

Keywords

growthheritabilityred deerreproductive traits
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 57 , Issue 1 , August 1993 , pp. 153 - 159
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1993

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