Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Heritability of phenotypic udder traits to improve resilience to mastitis in Texel ewes

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Crump, Ron E., Cooper, Selin, Smith, E. M., Grant, Clare and Green, Laura E. (2019) Heritability of phenotypic udder traits to improve resilience to mastitis in Texel ewes. Animal, 13 (8). pp. 1570-1575. doi:10.1017/S1751731118002951 ISSN 1751-7311.

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP-heritability-phenotypic-udder-traits-Crump-2018.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (1056Kb) | Preview
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731118002951

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

There are no estimates of the heritability of phenotypic udder traits in suckler sheep, which produce meat lambs, and whether these are associated with resilience to mastitis. Mastitis is a common disease which damages the mammary gland and reduces productivity. The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of collecting udder phenotypes, their heritability and their association with mastitis in suckler ewes. Udder and teat conformation, teat lesions, intramammary masses (IMM) and litter size were recorded from 10 Texel flocks in Great Britain between 2012 and 2014; 968 records were collected. Pedigree data were obtained from an online pedigree recording system. Univariate quantitative genetic parameters were estimated using animal and sire models. Linear mixed models were used to analyse continuous traits and generalised linear mixed models were used to analyse binary traits. Continuous traits had higher heritabilities than binary with teat placement and teat length heritability (h2) highest at 0.35 (SD 0.04) and 0.42 (SD 0.04), respectively. Udder width, drop and separation heritabilities were lower and varied with udder volume. The heritabilities of IMM and teat lesions (sire model) were 0.18 (SD 0.12) and 0.17 (SD 0.11), respectively. All heritabilities were sufficiently high to be in a selection programme to increase resilience to mastitis in the population of Texel sheep. Further studies are required to investigate genetic relationships between traits and to determine whether udder traits predict IMM, and the potential benefits from including traits in a selection programme to increase resilience to chronic mastitis.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: S Agriculture > SF Animal culture
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Life Sciences (2010- )
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Mathematics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Mastitis, Sheep -- Diseases, Ewes
Journal or Publication Title: Animal
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISSN: 1751-7311
Official Date: 2019
Dates:
DateEvent
2019Published
7 December 2020Available
21 November 2018Modified
11 October 2018Accepted
Volume: 13
Number: 8
Page Range: pp. 1570-1575
DOI: 10.1017/S1751731118002951
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Reuse Statement (publisher, data, author rights): This article has been published in a revised form in Animal http://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731118002951. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © copyright holder.
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Copyright Holders: The Animal Consortium 2018
Date of first compliant deposit: 11 October 2018
Date of first compliant Open Access: 21 May 2019
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
Innovate SPARKTexel SocietyUNSPECIFIED
UNSPECIFIEDAgricultural and Horticultural Development Boardhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010712
UNSPECIFIED[BBSRC] Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268
Related URLs:
  • Publisher

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us