Detailed genetic analysis of feeding behaviour in Romane lambs and links with residual feed intake

Marie-Etancelin, Christel; François, Dominique; Weisbecker, Jean Louis; Marcon, Didier; Moreno‐Romieux, Carole; Bouvier, Frédéric; Tortereau, Flavie

doi:10.1111/jbg.12392

Cited by 16 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…This could be linked to the switch in the preference for lambs in postparturient ewes to conspecifics in non‐lactating ewes (Poindron, Caba, Arrati, Krehbiel, & Beyer, 1994). Heritabilities as high as those measured in the present study for high‐ or low‐pitched bleats have rarely been observed for behaviour traits in sheep, except for feeding behavioural traits (Marie‐Etancelin et al, 2019). The low‐to‐moderate heritabilities found in the present study for various locomotion traits, whatever the phase of the AT, are consistent with the values previously reported for such traits in sheep (Boissy et al, 2005; Hazard et al, 2016; Wolf et al, 2008).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 58%

Genetic parameters estimates for ewes’ behavioural reactivity towards their litter after lambing

Hazard

Macé

Kempeneers

et al. 2020

J Animal Breeding Genetics

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In livestock, improving maternal reactivity towards the litter is an important issue in breeding strategies to promote production and animal welfare. As of yet, no studies have investigated the within‐breed genetic variation of maternal reactivity in sheep. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of maternal reactivity traits. A total of 1,095 primiparous and 1,441 multiparous Romane ewes were phenotyped 24 hr postlambing using a behavioural test (arena test, AT) over a 10‐year experimental period. The test consisted of three successive phases evaluating the ewe's attraction to her litter, reactivity to separation from her litter, and reactivity to a conflict between attraction to her litter and avoidance of a motionless human. The ewes were reared exclusively on rangelands (South of France) and lambed outdoors in the spring. High‐pitched bleating and low‐pitched bleating in the AT were mostly highly heritable (0.39‒0.46). Heritabilities were moderate for proximity to the litter in the presence of a human (0.27) and low for locomotion and vigilance in the AT (0.09‒0.15). The measurements of a given behaviour in the three phases of the AT were highly genetically correlated. Few genetic correlations were found between the different behavioural traits in the AT, the highest correlations being between high‐pitched bleating and low‐pitched bleating (−0.43 to −0.77). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate moderate‐to‐high heritability for maternal reactivity traits. These traits could be included in genetic selection schemes to enhance maternal attachment provided there is no unfavourable link with other production traits.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 58%

Genetic parameters estimates for ewes’ behavioural reactivity towards their litter after lambing

Hazard

Macé

Kempeneers

et al. 2020

J Animal Breeding Genetics

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“…Using automatic self-feeders [ 10 – 14 ], individual feed intake can be recorded whenever an animal accesses its feeder. Since repeated recordings of body weight and body composition are also possible, it is conceivable to compute repeated measurements of RFI at various ages [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New residual feed intake criterion for longitudinal data

2021

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Background Residual feed intake (RFI) is one measure of feed efficiency, which is usually obtained by multiple regression of feed intake (FI) on measures of production, body weight gain and tissue composition. If phenotypic regression is used, the resulting RFI is generally not genetically independent of production traits, whereas if RFI is computed using genetic regression coefficients, RFI and production traits are independent at the genetic level. The corresponding regression coefficients can be easily derived from the result of a multiple trait model that includes FI and production traits. However, this approach is difficult to apply in the case of multiple repeated measurements of FI and production traits. To overcome this difficulty, we used a structured antedependence approach to account for the longitudinality of the data with a phenotypic regression model or with different genetic and environmental regression coefficients [multi- structured antedependence model (SAD) regression model]. Results After demonstrating the properties of RFI obtained by the multi-SAD regression model, we applied the two models to FI and production traits that were recorded for 2435 French Large White pigs over a 10-week period. Heritability estimates were moderate with both models. With the multi-SAD regression model, heritability estimates were quite stable over time, ranging from 0.14 ± 0.04 to 0.16 ± 0.05, while heritability estimates showed a U-shaped profile with the phenotypic regression model (ranging from 0.19 ± 0.06 to 0.28 ± 0.06). Estimates of genetic correlations between RFI at different time points followed the same pattern for the two models but higher estimates were obtained with the phenotypic regression model. Estimates of breeding values that can be used for selection were obtained by eigen-decomposition of the genetic covariance matrix. Correlations between these estimated breeding values obtained with the two models ranged from 0.66 to 0.83. Conclusions The multi-SAD model is preferred for the genetic analysis of longitudinal RFI because, compared to the phenotypic regression model, it provides RFI that are genetically independent of production traits at all time points. Furthermore, it can be applied even when production records are missing at certain time points.

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“…At the visit level, we analyzed the feed intake (FI/V), feeding duration (FD/V), and FR, defined as the ratio between FI/V and FD/V. At the day level, the feed intake (FI/D) and feeding duration (FD/D) were summed over 24 h, and the number of visits per day was deduced (NV/D) ( Marie-Etancelin et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the 78 lambs in the current study belonged to a cohort of 951 lambs reported in the genetic study by Tortereau et al (2020) , we determined eBVs for RFI based on this study. Marie-Etancelin et al (2019) reported the feeding behavior traits of the same cohort of 951 lambs, including FR. Therefore, we calculated eBVs for FR for these 951 lambs using Pest software ( Groeneveld, 1990 ), with a pedigree of 5,216 individuals.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development of automatic feeders to record feed intake and feeding duration at the visit level has enabled the analysis of feeding behavior traits. Interestingly, the FR of Romane male lambs, defined as the ratio between feed intake and feeding duration, is a heritable trait ( h 2 = 0.37 ± 0.06) that seems to be genetically independent of RFI (Rg = 0.08 ± 0.16) ( Marie-Etancelin et al, 2019 ). It is thus possible to study the impact of feeding behavior and feed efficiency on ruminal microbiota without confusion between both traits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Apart From the Diet, the Ruminal Microbiota of Lambs Is Modified in Relation to Their Genetic Potential for Feed Efficiency or Feeding Behavior

et al. 2021

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Using two successive types of diets (100% concentrate and 67% forage), this study explores the relationship between the ruminal microbiota of 78 Romane lambs and their feed efficiency (residual feed intake trait) or feeding behavior (feeding rate trait). Analysis was carried out phenotypically by correlating feed efficiency or feeding behavior traits with the relative abundance of bacteria at the phylum, family, and genus levels, and then genetically by comparing the microbiota of lambs selected for extreme breeding values for residual feed intake or feeding rate. Our results confirmed the major effect of diet on the ruminal microbiota composition. The microbiota of lambs consuming a forage-based diet was distinguished by higher microbial diversity and also by higher relative abundance of Firmicutes, whereas Bacteriodetes and Actinobacteria were relatively more abundant in the microbiota of lambs consuming a concentrate-based diet. Moreover, the comparison of lambs divergent for residual feed intake breeding values revealed that regardless of diet, more efficient lambs possessed a ruminal microbiota enriched in Coprococcus, Moryella, [Eubacterium] Brachy group, and [Eubacterium] hallii group, but depleted in Lachnospiraceae FD2005 and Shuttleworthia. The connection between microbiota composition and feeding rate was more tenuous, with no link between the abundance of particular genera and lambs genetically divergent for feeding rate.

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Detailed genetic analysis of feeding behaviour in Romane lambs and links with residual feed intake

Cited by 16 publications

References 22 publications

Genetic parameters estimates for ewes’ behavioural reactivity towards their litter after lambing

Genetic parameters estimates for ewes’ behavioural reactivity towards their litter after lambing

New residual feed intake criterion for longitudinal data

Apart From the Diet, the Ruminal Microbiota of Lambs Is Modified in Relation to Their Genetic Potential for Feed Efficiency or Feeding Behavior

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