Genetic and genomic analyses underpin the feasibility of concomitant genetic improvement of milk yield and mastitis resistance in dairy sheep.

ABSTRACT: Milk yield is the most important dairy sheep trait and constitutes the key genetic improvement goal via selective breeding. Mastitis is one of the most prevalent diseases, significantly impacting on animal welfare, milk yield and quality, while incurring substantial costs. Our objectives were to determine the feasibility of a concomitant genetic improvement programme for enhanced milk production and resistance to mastitis. Individual records for milk yield, and four mastitis-related traits (milk somatic cell count, California Mastitis Test score, total viable bacterial count in milk and clinical mastitis presence) were collected monthly throughout lactation for 609 ewes of the Chios breed. All ewes were genotyped with a mastitis specific custom-made 960 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)

SUBMITTER: Banos G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6876840 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature