Growth and Mature Weight of Swedish Finewool Landrace Ewes

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Abstract
Heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlations were calculated for mature weight and weights measured at five annual weighing seasons up to an age of 4 years. Breeding values of mature weight were predicted from early weight registrations using selection index theory. The material consisted of records from 266 ewes and 20 sires of Swedish Finewool Landrace. Heritability of mature weight was calculated to be 0.29. Heritabilities of weights varied between 0.02 and 0.38. Genetic correlations between mature weight and early weight records ranged from 0.14 to an unrealistic value of 1.25. The phenotypic correlations varied between 0.50 and 0.72. Correlations between the indices and the true additive genetic value of the mature weight varied for different weighing seasons between 0.06 and 0.80. It was concluded that ewe weight ought to be recorded at the time of housing, before the mating season starts, since the greatest accuracy was achieved for indices constructed on weights then recorded.