راضیه ساقی

This research aims to investigate the current status and estimate the extinction probability of the endangered Karakul sheep breed in Iran. To achieve this, census data and required parameters were collected from Karakul sheep flocks and available resources during project implementation. Two scenarios of past and future population dynamics assuming the continuation of the existing conditions within the Karakul sheep habitat were simulated using the Population Viability Analysis (PVA) method and VORTEX version 10.5.6. By employing the gathered biological parameters and assumptions, the simulation of past population dynamics closely replicated actual historical trends. Conversely, the simulation of future population dynamics indicated that, under current conditions, the trend of increasing inbreeding and decreasing genetic diversity within the studied population is likely to persist. The extinction probability of the Karakul sheep breed could become a reality as early as 1438, with the estimated mean time to the first extinction of this breed being 51.08 ± 4.47 years. Sensitivity testing revealed that factors such as the excessive harvest of adult ewes beyond the usual annual harvest, the frequency of feed limitations, and the use of other breeds in mating exert the most significant influence on future population viability measures, primarily due to economic considerations.

Crossbreeding as the fastest approach to take advantage of difference between breeds, can be an effective method to improve the efficiency of meat production in sheep. The aim of the present study is to compare Balochi lambs with the crossbred obtained from Baluchi ewes with Kurdi and Karakul rams.

In order to investigate the effect of crossbreeding on the weight performance of lambs up to weaning and the fattening period and carcass composition, three genetic groups including pure Baluchi (BB) lambs, Karakul × Baluchi (GB) and Kurdi × Baluchi (KB) crosses were used. The ewes were mated in groups of 50 and each group with 2 rams. The number of 27 purebred and crossbred male lambs were used in the form of three treatments with three replications and three lambs per replication. Data were analyzed using GLM procedure of SAS software.

The results showed that lambs from Karakul rams had the highest birth weight and lambs from Baluchi rams had the lowest birth weight (4.80 and 3.95 kg, respectively). Lambs from karakul rams had higher daily gain (260g /day) before weaning than other lambs (p<0.05).  The highest and lowest dry matter intake were in the GB group (1250g /day) and the BB group (950 g / day), respectively. The highest daily gain in GB group and the lowest in BB group were 169.2 and 93.8 g / day, respectively (p <0.05). The genetically groups had significant effect on cold and hot carcass weights (p<0.05). The effect of crossbreeding on fat thickness, fat-tail, and shank was significant (p<0.05).

Due to the suitable reproductive performance in using Karakul ram as a paternal breeding base and optimal performance in growth rate, feed consumption, conversion ratio in the pre-weaning and post-weaning periods as well as carcass characteristics including hot and cold carcass weight and less tail compared to other crossbreds used in this study, it is probably more appropriate to use Karakul rams to produce crossbred lambs.

Due to weakness, the occurrence of unwanted errors, the impact of the environment and exposure to natural events, human always make mistakes in their diagnoses of the environment or different topics, so that different people 's perception of a single and unique event may be very different and be diverse. Nowadays, with the development of image processing technology, human beings try to evaluate the speed and accuracy of their evaluation and diagnosis about objects, plants and animals by using hardware and software facilities and by using the features extracted from images related to objects, plants and animals. To increase and therefore has created a new technology called image processing and has developed it in various dimensions.

In order to identify the best artificial neural network training algorithm for estimating the weight of Kurdi sheep using digital image processing, lambs and adult animals at the sheep breeding station of North Khorasan province were weighed using a scale. During the weighing, some digital images were taken from the side view of sheep using a digital camera by discerning fixed distance. Image processing steps and feature extraction from images of sheep were done using GUI of MATLAB (R2010a) software. Then, three types of artificial neural networks were trained using different types of educational procedure, including Levenberg Marquarth (LM), Scaled Conjugate Gradient (SCG), and Bayesian Regularization (BR) Training algorithms. The extracted features from images were used as input and weight of sheep as output in the training steps of ANNs, and the accuracy of the ANN models in estimating the weight of sheep was compared.

As results, the accuracy of the trained ANNs with the three algorithms including SCG, BR and LM, in estimating the weight of sheep in the training phase was estimated to be 91.95, 94.74 and 94.94%, respectively. In the practical test, which was performed by presenting 20 images as a test to each ANN models, the trained ANNs with the SCG, BR and LM algorithm had 4.7%, 0.5% and 2.11% error in estimating the weight. The results showed that all three types of ANN training algorithms had acceptable accuracy to estimate the weight of sheep, meanwhile the accuracy of the artificial neural network trained with BR algorithm was better than the others.

The performance of the proposed method based on image processing and the use of artificial neural network is accurate enough to estimate the weight of Kurdi sheep. It had better performance. Based on the results of the present study, it is quite possible to develop applications based on the use of artificial intelligence to weigh domestic animals, and use of this technology is recommended in several cases where there is no quick and easy access to the scales.

Identifying the genetic capacity of native sheep ecotypes and using that in crossbreeding for higher performance in Iran can be effective in increasing sheep profitability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crossbreeding on pre- and post weaning and carcass composition of purebred and crossbred lambs. Thus, three genetical groups such as purebred Kurdi (KK), Baluchi*Kurdi (BK) and Karakul*Kordi (GK) were used. Data were analyzed with GLM procedure using SAS 9.2. Results showed that Kordi ewes mated with Kurdi rams had the highest fertility percentage (90%). GK crossbred lambs had the highest and BK crossbred lambs had the lowest birth weight (4.89 vs. 4.15 kg, respectively). Dry matter intake of BK lambs (1360 g/d) and GK crossbred lambs (1150 g/d). The highest daily gain weight was obtained in BK genetic group and the lowest in KK genetic group was 202.6 and 164.8 g / day, respectively. The fattening lambs of GK had the highest hot and cold carcasses weight and carcass efficiency (25.9, 25.2 and 59.8, respectively). The effect of crossbreeding on fat thickness, tail and rump weight was significant and the BK lambs had the lowest fat thickness (7.2) and the highest rump weight (3.2).Based on the average performance before and after weaning as well as the appropriate carcass characteristics in lambs obtained from Karakul rams, it seems that the use of Karakul rams for the production of commercial crossbreed lambs is more appropriate.

This study was done to investigate the effect of different levels of garlic powder on performance, relative weight of carcass components and blood metabolites of Japanese quail. One hundred 21-day male Japanese quails were randomly assigned to 5 treatments, 4 replicates and 5 birds in each replicate. The experimental treatment included: control diet without garlic powder, diets supplemented by 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% garlic powder. Quails fed for 21 days. Quails access to water and feed freely. Results showed that feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio of quails were not affected by different levels of garlic powder. The effect of adding garlic powder to the diet on carcass efficiency, ventricular fat, total cholesterol and low-density-lipoproteins was significant (p <0.05). The birds fed diets containing 1% garlic powder had the highest carcass efficiency and the difference with birds fed diets without herbal medicine supplementation was significant (P <0.05). As increased garlic powder level in the diet, the blood total cholesterol and lipoproteins linearly decreased. According to the results obtained from this experiment, dietary supplementation by 1% garlic powder has a positive effect on carcass efficiency and decline undesirable blood metabolites.

Growth traits of domestic animals and their economic significance have been always considered important by breeders and breeding specialist. Growth models, calculated non-linearly, are used to express growth rate and statistical ratio between age and body weight (Kum et al. 2010). One of the ways to draw and describe the growth curve is to use growth models. By selection, you can change the shape of the growth curve and increase body weight (Anthony et al. 1996), although selecting to increase body weight has adverse effects such as obesity, leg problems and sudden death syndrome in poultry. Growth curve parameters are suitable and efficient criterion allowing to change the relationship between age and body weight through selection (Narince et al. 2010). Many researchers have used linear and nonlinear regression models to model the growth phenomenon. These models are more reliable (Vuori et al. 2006) than linear models due to the limited number of parameters and have a better fit of the data (Lambe et al. 2006). Depending on the breed of livestock and population studied, a growth function presents different results, so it is necessary to model growth for each herd separately (Bahreini Behzadi et al. 2015). Though many have investigated the growth traits of quails, studies estimating the heritability of growth curve parameters, genetic correlations between these parameters and genetic correlation between growth curve parameters and other traits (e.g., growth traits, production, conversion ratio and carcass traits) are very limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate heritability, phenotypic and genetic correlations of growth curve parameters and different body weight traits in Japanese quail.

Data were obtained from 242 male and 242 female quail hatched between 2017-2019 that belonged to the Khorasan Razavi Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Research Center. Birds were weighed individually for four generations from hatching to 42 days of age over four generations. Pedigree information included bird number, sire number and cage number, year, month, and birthday of the bird and hatching times over 4 generations. The data were first edited with CFC software and prepared for analysis. The traits studied in this study included body weight records at different ages (1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 45 days of age). SAS software's linear model and GLM procedure were used to identify constant factors affecting traits. Nonlinear regression model was used to estimate the growth curve parameters. Covariance components and genetic parameters of growth and body weight trait at different ages in quail were estimated using animal model and restricted maximum likelihood method using multivariate analysis by DMU software.

In the present study, moderate to high heritability (0.21-0.72) was obtained for different traits of body weight. Estimation of heritability at 1 week (0.45 ± 0.06), 2 weeks (0.42 ± 0.05), 3 weeks (0.44 ± 0.06), 4 weeks (0.45 ± 0.07), 5 weeks (0.52 ± 0.07) and 6 weeks (0.72 ± 0.06) were higher than the values reported by Barbieri et al. (2015) yet less than the estimate of Narinc et al. (2010). Estimation of moderate heritability obtained for body weight at 1 and 4 weeks of age and high heritability at 5 and 6 weeks of age show that the response to selection is low at early ages and increases with age at 5 and 6 weeks. The strongest correlations were between 3-4 weeks weight (0.93) and 1-2 weeks (0.92). Except for genetic correlations between hatching weight and final ages, most correlations were positive. The highest phenotypic correlation was between 3-4 weeks (0.83) and the phenotypic correlation between hatch weight and 6 weeks (0.006) was the lowest estimate. The results showed that the Gompertz model with the highest coefficient of determination (0.998) and the lowest error variance (1.8262) was the best growth predictor model in Japanese quails. Estimation of growth curve parameters (a, b and k) were 298.58, 3.5 and 0.053, respectively. The small difference between the observed and predicted body weight values indicates that the Gampertz model was able to describe the growth of quails well. Heritability of growth curve parameters (a, b and k) were estimated to be 0.21, 0.48 and 0.22, respectively. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between parameters a and b with different traits of body weight were generally negative. The highest genetic correlation (0.86) and phenotypic (0.66) were obtained between k parameter and 3-week weight. Genetic correlation between mean growth rate (b) and various traits of body weight was 0.9-0.62. The highest genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated between maturity rate (k) and 2, 3 and 4weeks weights. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between growth curve parameters were generally negative. The only correlation between asymptotic weight (a) and mean growth rate (b) was positive and high. These negative correlations indicate that if selection is used to increase puberty weight, we will have negative effects on growth rate and the growth rate will tend to decrease.

Estimation of heritability of growth curve parameters and their correlation with body weights at different ages showed that increasing production efficiency by selection based on growth curve parameters rather than selection for body weight could be useful. Curve deformations are more important than other parameters for productive purposes, especially the parameters a and k that are related to growth rates. Choosing a higher growth rate at 0- to 14-day-old does not change maturity weight, but choosing a higher body weight, that is, the near-inflection point of the curve, changes the shape of the curve without any significant change in parameter a. Nonetheless, k would change without any change in parameter a when limiting selection index is applied. The heritability of the Gompertz growth curve parameters and their correlation with weekly weights suggest that the growth rate parameter may be useful in selecting animals that are of early growth.

Growth and reproductive traits are well-known characteristics of living organisms because of their direct relationship with economic benefits. Genetic description of the growth curve and the correlation of its parameters with growth and reproductive traits can be useful in determining selection strategies. For this purpose, 2035 quail data, which were collected during the years 1398-1396 in the Agricultural Research and Training Center and Natural Resources of Khorasan Razavi, were used. To identify the fixed factors affecting the traits, the linear model of GLM procedure of SAS software was used and to estimate the parameters of the growth curve, the nonlinear regression model of Gampertz was used. Genetic components variance (co) of growth curve and reproduction traits was estimated using maximum likelihood multi-trait analysis by DMU software. Heritability of body weight at 35 days (BW35), asymptotic weight (a), maturity rate (k), age at inflection point (IPT), absolute growth rate (AGR), relative growth rate (RGR), number of eggs (EN) and fertility percentage (FR) were estimated respectively 0.222, 0.238, 0.416, 0.283, 168 to be 0.22, 0.222, 0.283 and 0.071. Growth curve parameters with AGR and RGR and BW35 days had high genetic correlations (0.434 - 0.924). The strongest correlation was obtained between IPT and RGR (0.924). Except for genetic correlations between EN and FR percentage with other traits, most of the genetic correlations were positive. Based on this results, management of environmental factors are effective in increasing growth and reproductive performance, and genetic selection for growth trait using growth curve parameters can improve the genetic potential of the animals.

The aim of this study was to analyze survival and its relationship with body weight and average daily gain traits in Japanese quail. For this purpose, Data base with 1854 Japanese quail survival records were used which collected during 4 generations from 1396 to 1398, by Khorasan Razavi Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. The Survival and cmprsk statistical packages were employed to determine the non-genetic effects on survival and culling risk at different times, and variance components estimates of survival trait was performed by MCMCglmm package. Genetic parameters of traits were estimated using single and two-trait analyses via Gibbs sampling. The mean mortality of breeding period (0.206) and the average survival rate (0.793) were calculated. The estimated average heritabilities for survival in single and two-trait analyses were 0.216 and 0.153, respectively. The range of heritability of body weight in single trait analysis was estimated between 0.135 to 0.307) with a mean of 0.219 by two- trait analysis. In two-trait analysis, heritability of body weight trait ranged from 0.155 to 0.014. The highest genetic correlation was -0.3113 (between body weight and average daily gain) and the lowest genetic correlation was -0.0277 (between survival trait and average daily gain). The results showed that optimal management of environmental factors is effective in reducing the culling risk and genetic selection for survival trait can improve the genetic potential of survival.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crossbreeding on growth performance and carcass composition of purebred and crossbred Kurdilambs. Thus, two genetic groups including purebred Kurdi lambs (KK) and crossbred Kurdi*Romanov lambs (KR) were used. For analysis of carcasstraits, six lambs from each group were selected and slaughtered. The number of weaned lambs for KK and KR were 95 and 45, respectively. Ourresults indicated thatKK purebred lambs had the highest (4.5 kg) and KR crossbred lambs had the lowest (4.1 kg) birth weight (P < 0.05). CrossbredKurdi*Romanov lambs had higher average daily gain than KK purebred lambs (P < 0.05). The means of final weights of purebred lambs weresignificantly higher than crossbred lambs (54.8 vs. 41.5 kg, respectively). The genetic groups had no significant effect on cold and hot carcass weights.The effect of crossbreeding on fat thickness, fat-tail and leg was significant (P < 0.05). Crossbred lambs performed better than purebred lambs in thepre-weaning period, but purebred Kurdi lambs performed better than crossbred lambs in the fattening period. In general, it can be reported that thecrossbreeding of Kurdi sheep with Romanov sheep did not show the desireble results.

Introduction The longevity is normally defined as the length of its productive life in the flock, which is the amount of time an animal spends producing (1). Longevity reflects the ability of ewe to avoid being culled for low production, low fertility, illness and influences the number and cost of replacements required to maintain the flock size. The benefit of increasing longevity are increased average age of the flock, having more ewes available for sale at the end of their four parity, having more ewe lambs to sell, and higher productivity from a slightly older flock age profile (2).
Sheep population of Khorasan province (10). In sheep production, longevity has an important influence on the economic returns. Reliable estimates of non genetic effects of longevity are needed to aid establishing an efficient strategy for improving ewe productivity.
Thus, the objective of this study was the factors affecting on longevity in Northern Khorasan Kordish sheep. We want to determine effect of environmental and non-genetic factors on longevity.
Material and Methods In order to investigate on factors affecting longevity trait in Northen Khorasan Kordish sheep, records of 7469 sheep (187 sire and 2258 dam) ) between 1990 to 2012 that were collected by breeding station of Hossein Abad in Shirvan (This city is located in the north of Mashhad) were used. Flock has been kept under village system. Breeding ewes were identified in the data set as those that lambed at 2 year of age and culled at 6 to 7 year of age duo to oldness. Ram kept until a male offspring was available for replacement. In this study longevity was defined as the age of a ewe (in day) when it leaves the flock. Ewes were generally removed from the flock due to poor production, low fertility, death and illness. Ewes were identified as being removed from the flock if a lambing record was present at n year of age but not at n years of age. All females were culled before reaching 7 years of age. Conditional stayability measures were recorded as binary indicators of a lambing record at a given age (failure=1, success=0). Overall stayability traits (STAY n/2) were defined as the probability that a ewe that lambed at 2 year of age also lambed at n year of age for n equal to 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 year of age. Data for overall stayability only included individuals that had opportunity to have a lambing record at n year of age. Marginal stayability traits (STAY n/n-1) were defined as the probability that a ewe that lambed at n-1 year of age also lambed at n year of age for n equal to 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years of age. Marginal stayability was missing for ewes without lambing records at n-1 years of age. Also, longevity of ewes was calculated according to lambing date and culling date in flock. So, culling reasons are divided in to two groups: Involuntary and voluntary culling. Involuntary culling includes death, barren ewes and deficiency, and voluntary culling includes extension sale, excess ewes and ewe with inappropriate phenotype.
The Fixed effect included year of production, sex and birth type. The Fixed effects to be considered was made after were when significant. Tables of productive life were also determined table procedure of SAS 9.1.
Result and Discussion According to the results, 99% of productive ewes were culled due to the culling reasons but not due to their ages. The highest culling rate in ewes was due to disease (33.1%) and the lowest culling rate in rams was Poisoning (0.11%). The disease had the highest culling rate in twins (33.5%). The highest percentage of involuntary culling was observed in barren ewes (1.65%). In voluntary culling, the highest percentage of culling was due to sales (55.75%). The effect of year and season of birth was significant on productive life. Mean comparison test showed that ewes lambing in winter and spring had the highest and lowest of productive life, respectively (p