Circannual body reserve dynamics and metabolic profile changes in Romane ewes grazing on rangelands

García, Eliel González; Figuereido, V. Gozzo de; Foulquie, Didier; Jousserand, E.; Autran, P; Camous, Sylvaine; Tesnière, Anne; Bocquier, François; Jouven, Magali

doi:10.1016/j.domaniend.2013.10.002

Cited by 37 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The farming system and management characteristics have previously been described by Gonzalez et al . [47]. All lambs were identified at birth using ear tags and weaned at 75 ± 4 days of age.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of QTLs for behavioral reactivity to social separation and humans in sheep using the OvineSNP50 BeadChip

Hazard

Moréno

Foulquie³

et al. 2014

BMC Genomics

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BackgroundCurrent trends in sheep farming practices rely on animals with a greater level of behavioral autonomy than before, a phenotype that actively contributes to the sustainability of animal production. Social reactivity and reactivity to humans are relevant behavioral traits in sheep, known for their strong gregariousness and weak tolerance to handling, which have previously been reported with moderate to high heritabilities. To identify loci underlying such behaviors, we performed a genome study in Romane lambs.ResultsThe experiment was carried out on 934 male and female lambs allocated into 9 half-sib families (average of 103 lambs per family) and reared outside. After weaning, all the lambs were individually exposed to 4 standardized behavioral tests combining social isolation, exposure to humans or handling, confinement and novelty (i.e. arena test, corridor test, isolation box test, shearing test). A broad range of behaviors including vocalizations, locomotion, vigilance and flight distance, as well as the cortisol response to handling, were collected. All lambs were genotyped using the Illumina OvineSNP50 BeadChip. QTL detection was performed by linkage, association and joint linkage and association analyses using the QTLmap software. Five main QTL regions were identified on sheep chromosomes (Ovis Aries Region, OAR) 12, 16, 19, 21 and 23 among many other QTLs with small to moderate effects. The QTLs on OAR12, 16 and 21 showed significant associations with social reactivity. The QTLs on OAR19 and 23 were found to be associated with reactivity to humans. No overlapping QTLs were identified for the different traits measured in the behavioral tests, supporting the hypothesis that different genetic factors influence social reactivity and tolerance to humans.ConclusionThe results of this study using ovine SNP data suggest that in domestic sheep the behavioral responses to social separation and exposure to humans are under polygenic influence. The most relevant QTLs reported in the present study contain interesting candidate genes previously described to be associated with various emotional and social behaviors in mammals.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-778) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of QTLs for behavioral reactivity to social separation and humans in sheep using the OvineSNP50 BeadChip

Hazard

Moréno

Foulquie³

et al. 2014

BMC Genomics

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“…l.), Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Aveyron, in the south of France. Average parameters of temperature and rainfall for the last decade (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), extracted from the local meteorological station Saint-Jean et Saint-Paul by using the software INRA Climatik v1.5 (2008), were reported by González-García et al, (2014) (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Experimental Site Animals and Farming Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main characteristics of La Fage rangeland sheep flock were also described by González-García et al, (2014). Briefly, this sheep flock currently comprises about 330 Romane ewes (250 reproductive females and 80 replacement ewe lambs).…”

Section: Experimental Site Animals and Farming Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growth rates of Romane ewe lambs and correlated effects of being mated as hoggets or two-tooth ewes on first offspring performance

García

Hazard

2016

Livestock Science

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“…The difficult and expensive implementation of classical techniques based on indigestible markers limits the possibilities of a large-scale phenotyping of grass intake. The dynamics (mobilization/accretion) of body reserves is also an important adaptive trait required to cope with fluctuations in natural resources (Friggens et al, 2004;González-García et al, 2014) that need to be measured indirectly (such as body condition score or imaging technologies) in order to easily quantify stored fat levels. Numerous research programmes are under way throughout the world on these subjects, focussed on different livestock sectors, but no generic and validated solutions have yet been found.…”

Section: Sparing Natural Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Towards the agroecological management of ruminants, pigs and poultry through the development of sustainable breeding programmes: I-selection goals and criteria

Phocas

Belloc

Bidanel

et al. 2016

Animal

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Agroecology uses natural processes and local resources rather than chemical inputs to ensure production while limiting the environmental footprint of livestock and crop production systems. Selecting to achieve a maximization of target production criteria has long proved detrimental to fitness traits. However, since the 1990s, developments in animal breeding have also focussed on animal robustness by balancing production and functional traits within overall breeding goals. We discuss here how an agroecological perspective should further shift breeding goals towards functional traits rather than production traits. Breeding for robustness aims to promote individual adaptive capacities by considering diverse selection criteria which include reproduction, animal health and welfare, and adaptation to rough feed resources, a warm climate or fluctuating environmental conditions. It requires the consideration of genotype × environment interactions in the prediction of breeding values. Animal performance must be evaluated in low-input systems in order to select those animals that are adapted to limiting conditions, including feed and water availability, climate variations and diseases. Finally, we argue that there is no single agroecological animal type, but animals with a variety of profiles that can meet the expectations of agroecology. The standardization of both animals and breeding conditions indeed appears contradictory to the agroecological paradigm that calls for an adaptation of animals to local opportunities and constraints in weakly artificialized systems tied to their physical environment.

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Circannual body reserve dynamics and metabolic profile changes in Romane ewes grazing on rangelands

Cited by 37 publications

References 21 publications

Identification of QTLs for behavioral reactivity to social separation and humans in sheep using the OvineSNP50 BeadChip

Identification of QTLs for behavioral reactivity to social separation and humans in sheep using the OvineSNP50 BeadChip

Growth rates of Romane ewe lambs and correlated effects of being mated as hoggets or two-tooth ewes on first offspring performance

Review: Towards the agroecological management of ruminants, pigs and poultry through the development of sustainable breeding programmes: I-selection goals and criteria

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