Estimates of genetic parameters for production and reproduction traits in Khuzestan buffalos of Iran

• Main Authors: M.B. Sayyadnejad, Y. Rouzbehan, R. Vaez Torshizi, S. Morammazi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010-02-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Subjects: Genetic parameters, Milk production and reproduction traits, Khuzestan buffaloes, Iran
• Online Access: http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/1010

Data on 217 Khuzestan buffalos, collected by the Agricultural Affairs of Khuzestan province in Iran from 1993 to 2000, were used to estimate variance components, heritability and repeatability for total milk yield (TMY), morning milk yield (MMY), evening milk yield (EMY), fat yield (FY), fat percentage (FP), lactation length (LL), dry period (DP) and calving interval (CI) traits. Estimates were carried out through single trait animal model using DFREML program. Year of calving, season of calving, age at calving and parity order considered as fixed effects in model. For milk production traits, lactation length was fitted as a covariate. Heritability estimates were 0.077±0.133, 0.061±0.130, 0.082±0.130, 0.056±0.174, 0.030±0.130, 0.045±0.126, 0.053±0.125 and 0.085±0.134 for TMY. MMY, EMY, FY, FP, LL, DP and CI, respectively. These estimates for repeatability were 0.217, 0.218, 0.181, 0.184, 0.030, 0.052, 0.085 and 0.053, for TMY. MMY, EMY, FY, FP, LL, DP and CI, respectively. The standard errors of heritabilities indicate that the amount and the structure of the data were not sufficient to estimate the genetic parameters for the production and reproduction traits of Khuzestan buffalos accurately despite the consistency of the estimates with the results reported in the literature.