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Table 7 Breeding for enhanced resilience defined as growth performance response to weather change in lambs

From: Breeding strategies for animal resilience to weather variation in meat sheep

Strategy

Selection Index weights (%)

G

Average per generation

Losses (1 °C)

Losses (2.6 °C)

WW

PostWW

FD

MD

CW

Res

WW

PostWW

FD

MD

CW

Res

ADG

OPerf

Base

5

5

60

15

15

0

0

28.698

41.460

1.491

19.878

18.844

4.954

0.158

2.393

3.97%

10.46%

20

38.053

52.286

1.505

24.407

23.258

4.842

0.202

3.358

3.05%

8.03%

1

5

5

50

15

15

10

0

28.698

41.460

1.491

19.878

18.844

4.954

0.158

2.393

3.97%

10.46%

20

36.616

52.601

1.496

25.067

23.590

3.823

0.203

3.424

2.39%

6.29%

2

5

5

40

15

15

20

0

28.698

41.460

1.491

19.878

18.844

4.954

0.158

2.393

3.97%

10.46%

20

34.442

52.022

1.484

25.530

23.543

2.783

0.202

3.433

1.75%

4.62%

3

5

5

30

15

15

30

0

28.698

41.4560

1.491

19.878

18.844

4.954

0.158

2.393

3.97%

10.46%

20

32.212

50.804

1.475

25.439

23.159

2.083

0.197

3.360

1.34%

3.54%

  1. Results are presented for the initial (0) and final (20) generations (G). Simulated traits are: WW weaning weight (kg); PostWW post-weaning weight (kg); FD fat depth (mm), MD muscle depth (mm); CW carcass weight (kg); Res resilience as performance response to weather change ((kg/oC)×10); ADG average daily weight gain (kg/day); OPerf phenotypic index combining all traits but not resilience. Losses in average daily weight gain due to weather changes are presented for 1o and 2.6 °C temperature change. Base strategy does not include resilience, while other strategies have an increasing emphasis on it