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Phenotypic and genetic variability for body weight of ostriches (Struthio camelus) |
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| Authors: | SB Ramos RP Savegnago SL Caetano GC Venturini AA Ramos |
| Institution: | 1. Departamento de Ciências Exatas, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, CEP 14884-900, Brazil;2. Departamento de Produ??o e Explora??o Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, CEP 18618-000, Brazil |
| Abstract: | 1. objective of the present study was to estimate heritability for hatch weight (HW), body weight at 90 (W90) and 180 (W180) d of age in Brazilian ostriches. 2. The heritability estimates were obtained through the restricted maximum likelihood method for an animal model. Least squares method was used to define possible fixed effects for consideration in the analysis model. 3. The estimates of heritability were 0.42 ± 0.05, 0.16 ± 0.04 and 0.24 ± 0.08 for HW, W90 and W180, respectively. 4. Heritability estimates showed that there are sufficient levels of additive genetic variation present in the traits studied, and these traits may respond to selection. |
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