SELECTION CRITERIA FOR MEAT SHEEP IMPROVEMENT - APPLICATION IN THE SEGURENA BREED

A simulation study of a selection scheme for the Segurena sheep breed was carried out during 21 consecutive lambings. The objective was to a ssess selection criteria for use in improving meat production. Two tra its were considered: litter size and weaning weight. Results suggest t hat the best criterion for Segurena's traditional market, is the predi cted breeding value of litter size. If breeders become interested in m arkets accepting heavier carcasses, an index-based selection, combinin g predicted breeding values of both litter size and weaning weight, co uld be a satisfactory choice. However, in future such selection could be confined to predicted breeding values of weaning weight alone, in o rder to avoid the negative effect of a possible change in genetic corr elation between the two considered traits. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B .V.