Effects of FecB gene on litter size and income in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep

The purpose of this research was to investigate the economic effects of a major gene, FecB, in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep in the northern regions of Khuzestan province. After collecting the required information in 2022, a simulation algorithm for this study was designed using the R programming language. Different objects including various breeding systems, different effect sizes of FecB, changes in extra price due to carrying FecB, the factor of reducing cost due to bulk purchases in larger sheep farms, and the presence or absence of direct product sale without intermediaries (PSWI) were considered in the algorithm. The simulation results showed that under non-pasture conditions, the size of the flock can be an important factor in the profitability. Estrus synchronization was another important factor in increasing profit in herds with FecB, and in the absence of pasture, its role in improving the economic conditions of the herd becomes more prominent. This study showed that for every 1% increase in litter size due to the FecB effect the income per year for each head increased from 147 to 349 thousand Rials. In addition, the PSWI can play a very important role in improving the profitability of the herd. The results of this simulation can be used to predict the economic future of Lori-Bakhtiari herds and the other Iranian sheep breeds carrying this mutation. Moreover, the algorithm presented in this research can be used for simulation in different breeds according to the cost and different breeding systems to provide a suitable economic model.