Repeated records on fertility, litter size, and ovulation rate of Rambouillet ewes and on fertility and litter size of Finnsheep ewes were used to estimate heritabilities and repeatabilities with linear and nonlinear sire and animal models. Linear sire (LSM) and animal models were used with all traits. Nonlinear models were the threshold, Poisson, and negative binomial. Threshold sire (TSM) and animal models were used with all traits. Litter size and ovulation rate were analyzed also with Poisson sire and animal models and with negative binomial sire and animal models. Variance components for linear models were estimated using REML; in the threshold, Poisson, and negative binomial, they were estimated using approximate marginal maximum likelihood. Poisson and negative binomial analyses yielded results difficult to interpret due to problems in variance component estimation. Animal models resulted in slightly greater estimates of heritability for fertility than did sire models, but ovulation rate heritability estimates from sire models were much greater than estimates form animal models. Differences between sire and animal models for heritability estimates for litter size were not consistent. Threshold models resulted in higher heritability estimates for all traits in both breeds and with both sire and animal models. In general, repeatabilities were consistent across models. For example, LSM (TSM) repeatabilities were .10 (.14) for fertility, .20 (.25) for litter size, and .25 (.29) for ovulation rate in the Rambouillet, and .17 (.17) for fertility and .11 (.13 for litter size in the Finnsheep.

Expression of a single copy of the rat obesity fatty (fa) gene may affect energy balance. To test this hypothesis, the effects of zero, one, and two copies of fa on early growth were evaluated, using a molecular genetic method for counting fa alleles inherited by 7- and 14-day-old F2 offspring of a BN/Crl x Crl:ZUC-fa F1 intercross. Litter and sex effects were controlled by multiple-regression analysis, allowing genotype effects on the weights of body, inguinal adipose pads, interscapular brown adipose tissue, and liver to be isolated. At 7 days of age, the fa copy number had linear effects on body and inguinal adipose pads weight. At 14 days of age, the fa copy number had linear effects on body, inguinal adipose pads, and interscapular brown adipose tissue weights and an additional quadratic effect on inguinal adipose pads weight. Thus fa has codominant effects on growth during the first week of life. The recessive effects of fa on growth appear during the second week of life.

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