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Merino sheep in Australia experience periods of variable feed supply. Merino sheep can be bred to be more resilient to this variation by losing less BW when grazing poor quality pasture and gaining more BW when grazing good quality pasture. Therefore, selection on BW change might be economically attractive but correlations with other traits in the breeding objective need to be known. The genetic correlations (r g ) between BW, BW change, and reproduction were estimated using records from approximately 7,350 fully pedigreed Merino ewes managed at Katanning in Western Australia. Number of lambs and total weight of lambs born and weaned were measured on approximately 5,300 2-yr-old ewes, approximately 4,900 3-yr-old ewes, and approximately 3,600 4-yr-old ewes. On a proportion of these ewes BW change was measured: approximately 1,950 2-yr-old ewes, approximately 1,500 3-yr-old ewes, and approximately 1,100 4-yr-old ewes. The BW measurements were for 3 periods. The first period was during mating period over 42 d on poor pasture. The second period was during pregnancy over 90 d for ewes that got pregnant on poor and medium quality pasture. The third period was during lactation over 130 d for ewes that weaned a lamb on good quality pasture. Genetic correlations between weight change and reproduction were estimated within age classes. Genetic correlations were tested to be significantly greater magnitude than 0 using likelihood ratio tests. Nearly all BW had significant positive genetic correlations with all reproduction traits. In 2-yr-old ewes, BW change during the mating period had a positive genetic correlation with number of lambs weaned (rg = 0.58); BW change during pregnancy had a positive genetic correlation with total weight of lambs born (rg = 0.33) and a negative genetic correlation with number of lambs weaned (rg = -0.49). All other genetic correlations were not significantly greater magnitude than 0 but estimates of genetic correlations for 3-yr-old ewes were generally consistent with these findings. The direction of the genetic correlations mostly coincided with the energy requirements of the ewes and the stage of maturity of the ewes. In conclusion, optimized selection strategies on BW changes to increase resilience will depend on the genetic correlations with reproduction and are dependent on age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assessed the effectiveness and cost–benefit of several genotyping strategies for breeding poll Merino sheep in a closed nucleus with different initial allele frequencies and assuming a single-gene responsible for the horn or poll phenotype. We assumed that selection was based on phenotypes or genotypes for a single gene conferring polledness via a complete-dominance model. Under such a model, a complete fixation of the 'polled allele' (P) requires genotyping of the ewe-selection candidates. Testing a higher proportion of female candidates resulted in a faster fixation of the P-allele. Fixation ranged from 1 year of selection with a high starting P-allele frequency of 0.9, to 7 years for low starting P-allele frequencies of 0.3. When premiums of AU$50 or AU$100 were paid for rams with a PP genotype, breeding for PP genotypes was not profitable when the starting P-allele frequency was below 0.7. If the starting allele frequency was above 0.7, net profitability was positive over 10 years when premiums of AU$200 were paid for known PP-genotype rams. While fixing the P-allele, genetic gain for production traits was slowed down in the first 5 years of selection by up to 23% and 3% for initial P allele-frequencies of 0.3 and 0.9 respectively. Lost genetic gain due to fixing the P-allele, which can never be recovered in a closed nucleus, incurred 200–800% higher costs than the DNA testing costs. Rates of genetic gain recovered to pre-P-allele selection level rates of genetic gain once the P-allele was fixed. Testing a maximum of 25% ewe-selection candidates was the least expensive strategy across all starting allele frequencies and premiums. To avoid large losses of genetic gain in a closed nucleus with low P-allele starting frequencies, opening the nucleus should be considered to increase starting P-allele frequencies and also to potentially increase rates of genetic gain to offset the economic loss caused by P-selection. Australian Merino sheep can be bred with horns or without (polled). There is evidence suggesting polled rams are becoming more desirable due to increased welfare standards for both the individual sheep and their human handlers. As such there is indication that ram buyers will pay a premium for polled rams at present. This paper investigates breeding strategies to infuse the poll gene into a flock and the cost–benefit to the ram breeder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep in Australia experience periods with different feed supply causing them to gain and lose BW during the year. It is more efficient if ewes lose less BW during periods of poor nutrition and gain more BW during periods of good nutrition. We investigated whether BW loss during periods of poor nutrition and BW gain during periods of good nutrition are genetically different traits. We used BW measurements from 2,336 adult Merino ewes managed over 5 yr in a Mediterranean climate in Katanning, Australia. Body weight loss is the difference between 2 BW measured 42 d apart during mating, a period of poor nutrition. Body weight gain is the difference between 2 BW measured 131 d apart during a period of good nutrition between prelambing and weaning. We estimated variance components of BW change using 3 methods: 1) as a trait calculated by subtracting the first BW from the second, 2) multivariate analysis of BW traits, and 3) random regression analysis of BW. The h2 and genetic correlations (rg) estimated using the multivariate analysis of BW andthe BW change trait were very similar whereas the random regression analysis estimated lower heritabilities and more extreme negative genetic correlations between BW loss and gain. The multivariate model fitted the data better than random regression based on Akaike and Bayesian information criterion so we considered the results of the multivariate model to be more reliable. The heritability of BW loss (h2 = 0.05-0.16) was smaller than that of BW gain (h2 = 0.14-0.37). Body weight loss and gain can be bred for independently at 2 and 4 yr of age (rg = 0.03 and -0.04) whereas at 3 yr of age ewes that genetically lost more BW gained more BW (rg = -.41). Body weight loss is genetically not the same trait at different ages (rg range 0.13-0.39). Body weight gain at age 3 yr is genetically the same trait at age 4 yr (rg = 0.99) but is different between age 2 yr and the older ages (rg = 0.53 and 0.51). These results suggest that as the ewes reach their mature BW, BW gain at different ages becomes the same trait. This does not apply to BW loss. We conclude that BW change could be included in breeding programs to breed adult Merino ewes that are more tolerant to variation in feed supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from seven research resource flocks across Australia were combined to provide accurate estimates of genetic correlations among production traits in Merino sheep. The flocks represented contemporary Australian Merino fine, medium and broad wool strains over the past 30 years. Over 110 000 records were available for analysis for each of the major wool traits, and 50 000 records for reproduction and growth traits with over 2700 sires and 25 000 dams. Individual models developed from the single trait analyses were extended to the various combinations of two-trait models to obtain genetic correlations among six wool traits [clean fleece weight (CFW), greasy fleece weight, fibre diameter (FD), yield, coefficient of variation of fibre diameter and standard deviation of fibre diameter], four growth traits [birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight (YWT), and hogget weight] and four reproduction traits [fertility, litter size, lambs born per ewe joined, lambs weaned per ewe joined (LW/EJ)]. This study has provided for the first time a comprehensive matrix of genetic correlations among these 14 wool, growth and reproduction traits. The large size of the data set has also provided estimates with very low standard errors. A moderate positive genetic correlation was observed between CFW and FD (0.29 ± 0.02). YWT was positively correlated with CFW (0.23 ± 0.04), FD (0.17 ± 0.04) and LWEJ (0.58 ± 0.06), while LW/EJ was negatively correlated with CFW (−0.26 ± 0.05) and positively correlated with FD (0.06 ± 0.04) and LS (0.68 ± 0.04). These genetic correlations, together with the estimates of heritability and other parameters provide the basis for more accurate prediction of outcomes in complex sheep-breeding programmes designed to improve several traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]