D. K. Yadav, S. Taraphder, K. C. Dhara, S. Batabyal, I. Samanta and M. Mitra
The present study was carried out on 52 apparently healthy adult ewes of Garole sheep reared at Sheep and Goat Breeding Farm of West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences , during April to September 2009 to investigate the association of transferrin polymorphism with different economic traits. The nine transferrin genotypes were identified by Vertical Sodium Dodecyl sulfate Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique. Four (Transferrin AA, BB, CC and DD ) of these were homozygous and the remaining five (Transferrin AD, BC, BD, CD and DE ) heterozygous. The performance of different economic traits in respect of different genotypes of transferrin was analysed. The analysis of data revealed that Garole sheep at this farm produced 2.05±0.23 lambs per lambing. Sheep with TfAD genotype showed the best performance with respect to lamb production (2.71±0.28 lambs per lambing) and type TfDE genotype is least productive (1.57± 0.28 lambs per lambing) in the analyzed ewe flock. Average number of lambs born in heterozygous and homozygous ewes was 2.16±0.18 and 1.99±0.25 in overall lambing, respectively. It was found that the overall mean of age at first lambing was 479.88±4.27days. Maximum value of age at first lambing (522.25 ±22.56 days) corresponds to sheep having TfAA genotype. Lowest age at first lambing (447.00±13.00 days) was shown by animal having TfAD genotype. On an average, the heterozygous ewes at the transferrin locus had shorter age at first lambing (471.323±5.26 days) with respect to homozygous ewes at transferrin locus (492.52±6.39 days). Overall lambing interval was found to be 256.44±9.51days in the herd. The results of lambing interval showed that ewes having TfBB genotype had 237.86±7.37 days while ewes having TfCC genotype had 265.75±9.75 days. Analysis of variance showed that transferrin polymorphism had significant effect on number of lambs born in second (**P<0.01) and overall lambing (*P<0.05). Analysis of variance showed that between genotype analysis had significant (*P<0.05) effect on average number of lamb produced in overall lambing. Between genotype, analysis of variance that transferrin genotypes had significant (**P<0.01) effect on age at first lambing. Analysis of variance showed that transferrin genotypes had significant effect (*P<0.05) in first lambing interval. The heterozygous ewes tended to have a better production performance than the homozygous ewes. This genetic information of transferrin gene could be useful in marker assisted selection to improve production performance.
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