Assessment of weight development of the sheep from Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic population

Nevyana Stancheva, Teodora Angelova, Daniela Yordanova, Jivko Krastanov

Abstract: The aim of the study was to assess the weight development of sheep from the Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic
Population, with a genetic component of the breeds East Friesian, Lacaune and Chios. Analyzed
were 903 pedigrees and a total of 2180 records for live weight at weaning, at 9, 18 and 36 months of
age of ewes reared at the Agricultural Institute – Shumen. An animal model was used to achieve this
goal. The established average values were 27.973 kg at weaning, 49.608 kg at 9 months, 66.574 kg
at 18 months and 71.482 kg at 36 months. The variation of the symptom decreased with increasing
age from 16% at weaning to 6% at 36 months of age. Genetic assessments of individual generations
and the phenotypic realization of the trait did not follow a clear tendency to increase or decrease live
weight. In purebred animals, a close to the general average additive and a weak negative non-additive
effect was found for all ages. The values of the additive and non-additive effect in the genetic groups
with a component of 12.5% of the East Friesian breed, the Lacaune breed for the first generation and
the Chios breed for the first and subsequent generations were predominantly positive.

Keywords: additive and non-additive effects; animal model; Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population; live weight; sheep

Date published: 2022-02-25