GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF WEANING WEIGHT IN BARKI SHEEP USING NUCLEUS BREEDING SCHEME | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Sheep and Goats Sciences | ||||
| Article 2, Volume 9, Issue 1, April 2014, Page 1-11 PDF (289.92 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejsgs.2014.26751 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| Manal El Sayed,1; Salwa I. El-Wakil2; A. M. Ahmed2; R. R. Sadek3; A. A. Nigm3 | ||||
| 1Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Ein Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Animal and Poultry Breeding Department, Desert Research Centre, El Matareya, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
| 3Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| SUMMARY The present study was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of establishing a genetic improvement program for meat production in Barki sheep as a result of selection for weaning weight. The present study utilized an original body weight data collected from the Barki sheep flock raised in the north-western coast of Egypt that belongs to the Desert Research Centre from 1963 to 2005. A total of 1046 animals (542 females and 504 males) progenies of 163 sires and 557 dams were included in the analyses. The Monte Carlo simulation technique was utilized to construct a three-stratum nucleus breeding scheme consisting of a nucleus flock linked with five multiplier flocks which were consequently linked with commercial flocks of the producers. Such structure was replicated three times for higher accuracy. Moreover, mating was simulated for two successive seasons in the multiplier and commercial flocks and for three successive seasons in the nucleus flock. Two scenarios were simulated whereas the improvement occur without (scenario-1) and with (scenario- 2) dissemination of sires from the nucleus flock. Results indicated that weaning weight breeding values of sires, dams and offspring as well as average weaning weight in the nucleus flocks were generally exceeding those corresponding values in the multiplier and commercial flocks. Breeding values as well as average weaning weight tended to increase as season advanced and being higher in scenario-2 than in scenario-1. Producers of the multiplier and commercial flocks would accomplish higher breeding values as well as average weaning weight in the first season as soon as they shift from scenario-1 to scenario-2. The present study showed that it is technically feasible to implement nucleus breeding schemes in providing improved sires with higher weaning weight breeding values for the genetic improvement of meat production in Barki sheep. | ||||
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