Abstract
Genetic parameters for milk, fat and protein yields, and fat and protein contents, were estimated for the Alpine and Saanen goat breeds using an animal model. Edited data included first lactations of 33 431 Alpine and 20 700 Saanen goats kidding in 1996 and 1997. Heritability values ranged from 0.32 to 0.40 for yields and from 0.50 to 0.60 for solid contents. The main feature observed on genetic correlations was a low genetic opposition between milk yield and fat content (about - 0.17) with a high genetic association between fat yields and fat contents (up to +0.56). Although the differences between genetic parameters of both breeds were rather low, the estimates suggest a higher potential for genetic progress in protein content and protein yield in the Alpine breed, and a higher potential for joint genetic progress in milk yield and fat content in the Saanen breed.
Highlights
Since 1985, goat selection in France has been oriented toward an improvement of protein yield and protein content (PY and PC, respectively) because goat milk is mainly used for cheese production and protein content was a limiting factor in the highly productive Alpine and Saanen breeds
At present, realised genetic gains for PC and PY allow the selection objective to be widened by including fat yield and fat content (FY and FC, respectively)
This study aims at updating the estimates of genetic parameters for milk, fat and protein yields, fat and protein contents, in the Alpine and Saanen populations using an animal model
Summary
Since 1985, goat selection in France has been oriented toward an improvement of protein yield and protein content (PY and PC, respectively) because goat milk is mainly used for cheese production and protein content was a limiting factor in the highly productive Alpine and Saanen breeds. At present, realised genetic gains for PC and PY allow the selection objective to be widened by including fat yield and fat content (FY and FC, respectively). Last on-farm estimates available [3] were obtained using a sire model on data collected between 1982 and 1985. This study aims at updating the estimates of genetic parameters for milk, fat and protein yields, fat and protein contents, in the Alpine and Saanen populations using an animal model
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