Estimation of Genetic Parameters on Pre-Weaning Growth Traits in Goats for Meat Raised at a Commercial Farm in Southern Thailand

摘要

Bivariate analysis was used to estimate genetic parameters for birth weight (BW) and weaning weight (WW) of a goat population at Satun province, Thailand. Estimated direct heritabilities were found to be 0.44 for BW, and 0.51 for WW. Estimated maternal heritabilities were found to be 0.15 for BW, and 0.16 for WW. The direct genetic, maternal genetic and phenotypic correlations between BW and WW were positive and moderate to high values (0.50, 0.70 and 0.34, respectively). An antagonistic direct-maternal correlation within traits (-0.39 for BW and -0.78 for WW) and between traits (-0.35 for BW and WW and -0.04 for WW and BW) indicated that offspring of does with superior maternal abilities may provide an inferior direct genetic effect in the same trait and between traits. It was therefore possible to rapidly improve BW and WW in this goat population through selection, while the adverse effects of direct and maternal correlation within and between traits should be considered.