Estimation of the genetic parameters for semen traits in spanish dairy sheep

[EN] This work aimed to estimate genetic parameters for traits related to semen production and quality in Spanish dairy sheep breeds. For that, ejaculates of rams from Assaf, Churra, Latxa Cara Negra, Latxa Cara Rubia, and Manchega breeds were analyzed to measure volume, semen concentration, and mot...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pelayo, Rocío, Ramón, Manuel, Granado Tajada, Itsasne, Ugarte, Eva, Serrano, Malena, Gutiérrez Gil, Beatriz, Arranz Santos, Juan José
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Universidad de León
Repositorio:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
OAI Identifier:oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/23260
Acceso en línea:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/12/1147
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/23260
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9121147
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Genética
Producción animal
Veterinaria
Semen traits
Sheep
Genetic parameters
Heritability
3109.02 Genética
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] This work aimed to estimate genetic parameters for traits related to semen production and quality in Spanish dairy sheep breeds. For that, ejaculates of rams from Assaf, Churra, Latxa Cara Negra, Latxa Cara Rubia, and Manchega breeds were analyzed to measure volume, semen concentration, and motility. Estimates of variance components were obtained with multiple-trait animal models using the average information REML method in the BLUPF90 family of programs. Repeatability estimates for all the traits were also calculated, with values ranging from 0.077 to 0.304 for the motility and the semen concentration traits, respectively. Heritability estimates were of low to moderate magnitude, ranging from 0.014 (motility in Latxa Cara Rubia) to 0.198 (volume in Churra), although the estimates differed among the breeds. The estimated genetic correlations among the three semen traits showed adequate precision only in the MAN breed. The heritability estimates for the semen traits reported in the present paper suggest an adequate response to selection. The practical extension of these results to the other breeds studied here will be secondary to the estimation of more reliable genetic correlations in these breeds.