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Bayesian approach to estimate variance components and genetic parameters of dairy traits and somatic cell score in Murciano-Granadina goats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2025

Jamshid Ehsaninia Open the ORCID record for Jamshid Ehsaninia [Opens in a new window] ,
Mohammad Bagher Zandi ,
Moein Taned  and
Alireza Bagheripour
Jamshid Ehsaninia*
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Minab Higher Education Center, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Mohammad Bagher Zandi
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
Moein Taned
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
Alireza Bagheripour
Affiliation:
Ghaleh-Ganj Dairy Farm, Fajr Isfahan Agricultural and Livestock Company, Isfahan, Iran
*
Corresponding author: Jamshid Ehsaninia; Email: ehsaninia@hormozgan.ac.ir
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for dairy traits (daily milk yield (DMY), daily milk fat yield (DMFY), and daily milk protein yield (DMPY)) and somatic cell score (SCS) of Iranian Murciano-Granadina goats. The analysis involved 99,839 records from 4,307 does, spanning from 2015 to 2021. A single-trait animal model was used to obtain estimates of genetic and residual (co)variances and heritabilities. In the model, both fixed effects (birth year, parity, litter size, age dam (day)) and random effects (additive animal genetic effects) were considered. R software was used to evaluate environmental effects, assess the model, examine genetic and phenotypic trends, and determine genetic-environmental correlations. Additionally, variance components and heritability were estimated using the Gibbs1f90 software. The heritability of dairy traits and SCS trait, namely DMY, DMFY, DMPY, and SCS, was estimated to be 0.244, 0.133, 0.188, and 0.023, respectively. The genetic correlations between DMY and DMFY, DMY and DMPY, DMY and somatic cell score (SCS), DMFY and DMPY, DMFY and SCS, and DMPY and SCS were 0.07, 0.16, 0.42, –0.08, –0.005, and 0.04, respectively. The study found moderate heritability for milk yield traits and low heritability for somatic cell score. Genetic correlations varied, with the strongest correlation between daily milk yield and somatic cell score, indicating useful genetic linkages for selective breeding.

Keywords

genetic correlationgoatsheritabilitymilksomatic cell count

Information

Type
Animal Research Paper
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 163 , Issue 3 , June 2025 , pp. 352 - 362
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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