GENETIC TRENDS OF SELECTION FOR PELT TRAITS IN KARAKUL SHEEP .2. CORRELATED RESPONSES

Correlated responses of curl development, hair quality, hair thickness , hair stiffness, hair length, lustre and pattern to selection for an increase in pattern and hair quality and a decrease in hair length and curl development were determined with mixed model methodology in a si ngle trait selection experiment with Karakul sheep. No unfavourable ge netic associations between pelt traits were found. The genetic relatio nship between pattern and hair quality was small and insignificant, wh ich implies that pattern and hair quality can be improved together. A decrease in curl development resulted in an accompanying decrease in p attern. Selection for shorter hair resulted in an increase in pattern and vice versa. In most cases the correlations between relative breedi ng values were in the same direction and did not differ greatly from t he estimated genetic correlations. The correlation of hair quality and its components, i.e. hair stiffness and hair thickness with some of t he other pelt traits, differed from the estimated parameters. Mixed mo del methodology made it possible to detect more subtle correlated resp onses that would otherwise not have been possible.