Environmental effects and genetic parameters on growth traits for a herd of farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus).

摘要

The objective was to estimate environmental effects and genetic parameters on growth traits in a flock of farmed red deer of the central Mexican highland. Animals were raised on an intensive rotational grazing system of grass-legume mixed temperate pastures. Evaluated traits were birth (BW), weaning adjusted to 100 d (WW) and yearling (YW) weights. Analyses were performed using the MTDFREML program. Final univariate animal models considered the fixed effect of sex-year, and calving age as a covariate for BW and WW, and the random direct (BW, WW and YW) and maternal (WW) genetic effects. Means and standard deviations for BW, WW and YW were 8.7+or-1.2, 42.4+or-5.6 and 80.8+or-13.3 kg. Males were higher (P<0.05) than those of females (4.6, 9.9 and 21.9%, for BW, WW and YW). There were differences between contemporary groups for all traits (P<0.05). The linear effect of hind calving age was important (P<0.05) for both BW and WW. Estimates of direct heritability were 0.00+or-0.08, 0.41+or-0.33 and 0.17+or-0.15 for BW, WW and YW. Maternal heritability of WW was 0.22+or-0.16. Based on the estimated genetic additive variability of WW and YW in this herd, the results suggest the possibility for genetic improvement of those traits through selection; however, these results are not definitive given the limited quantity and quality of the used information.