Heritability of juniper consumption in goats1

• Published in: Journal of animal science Vol. 87; no. 2; pp. 491 - 495
• Main Authors: Waldron, D. F., Taylor, C. A., Walker, J. W., Campbell, E. S., Lupton, C. J., Willingham, T. D., Landau, S. Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Champaign Oxford University Press 01.02.2009
• Subjects: Animal reproduction; Animal sciences; Diet; Flowers & plants; Goats; Heredity; Edwards County Texas
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.2527/jas.2008-1140

Data from goats (n = 505), collected over a 4-yr period, were used to estimate the heritability of juniper consumption. Juniper consumption was determined by near-infrared spectroscopy on fecal samples (n = 1,080) collected from female Boer-cross goats grazing pastures with a variety of plants, including juniper. The animals with records were progeny of 72 sires. Individual goats had from 1 to 4 observations over a 4-yr period. Predicted juniper consumption for individual observations ranged from -5 to +62% of the diet. Data were analyzed with a mixed model that included management group as a fixed effect, BW as a covariate, and permanent environment, animal, and residual as random effects. Management group was a significant source of variation. Least squares means of juniper consumption, as a percentage of the total intake, for management groups varied from 19 to 47%. Heritability of juniper consumption was 13%. Repeatability of juniper consumption was 31%. These results suggest that progress to selection for goats that will consume greater amounts of juniper is obtainable, but is expected to be slow. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]