Volume 16, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Res Anim Prod 2025, 16(3): 13-23 |
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Amraei F, Vafaye Valleh M, Dashab G R, Baneh H, Ahmadpanah J. (2025). Estimation of Economic Values for Important traits of Lori-Bakhtiari Sheep in the Rural Rearing System. Res Anim Prod. 16(3), 13-23. doi:10.61882/rap.2025.1494
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1494-en.html
URL: http://rap.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1494-en.html
1- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran
2- Institute of Animal Science Research, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
3- Animal Science Research Department, Illam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center (AREEO), Illam, Iran
2- Institute of Animal Science Research, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
3- Animal Science Research Department, Illam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center (AREEO), Illam, Iran
Abstract: (1278 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: Increasing efficiency and profit are the main goals of a production-economic system in the animal husbandry industry; therefore, in designing a genetic improvement program for domestic animals, attention should be paid to the identification of the production system and the factors affecting its performance, as well as the amount of the system profit, i.e., the amount of income and expenses. An important issue in a breeding program is to decide which individuals will transmit the greatest biological economic value to the next generation. The economic coefficient of a trait determines the importance of that trait in the selection decision. Considering the importance of this issue, estimating the economic coefficients of important traits in Lori Bakhtiari sheep will play an important role in determining breeding goals. Various methods have been considered to determine economic coefficients, including profit function methods and bio-economic models, among which bio-economic models are more useful in estimating economic coefficients due to their higher accuracy and flexibility. Since the largest population of sheep is raised in rural systems, studies that can determine the improvement goals and selection index of sheep in rural breeding conditions are important and decisive. The purpose of this study is to identify the sources of cost and income and determine the economic coefficients and improvement goals of Lori Bakhtiari sheep in the rural breeding conditions of this breed.
Methods: In this study, production, reproduction, management, and economic parameters were recorded from four sheep flocks of Lori Bakhtiari with 979 productive ewes from the Naghan and Aliabad regions of Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province. These herds were raised under the rural system (smallholder production circumstances). Data were collected during an annual production cycle from September 2022 to September 2023 and were used to determine breeding goals and absolute and relative economic coefficients considering different trends of maximum profit. Target flocks were identified to investigate these parameters. Ranchers received the necessary training regarding the project, and then data were collected from the herds. To record and collect data, the target herds were divided into seven different groups based on age. The income of the system (selling excess lambs, selling ewes and rams, and selling milk and wool), as well as the costs of the system (including the two parts of fixed costs and management costs), were investigated and then estimated separately for each group. Management costs included labor costs, health costs, and maintenance costs. After estimating the cost and income for each group, the annual profit of the flock was calculated for each ewe in the year of establishment using the income and cost equation. To calculate the economic value of traits, the level of each trait was increased by one unit, while other traits were kept constant at the average level. The difference in profit from the increase of one unit in the trait was considered the absolute economic coefficient. The effects of a 20% increase or decrease in the price of six-month-old live lamb, wool per kg, and total cost of ewe live weight per kg on economic value were used to study the sensitivity test of economic value. Subsequently, breeding goals were determined as linear functions of economically important traits based on the economic value.
Results: The largest part (portion) of income (91.08%) belonged to the selling weight of lambs, and the next largest part was recorded for milk production. The amount of income from wool was non-significant. The highest cost (78.84%) belonged to feed costs, followed by personnel, maintenance, and health costs, respectively. The lowest cost was estimated for fixed costs. The highest contribution of revenue (91.08%) and cost (78.84%) of the production system was found for six-month-old lambs and feeding. Absolute economic coefficients for ewe survival traits, pregnancy rate, lambing frequency, litter size, survival to weaning, sales weight, milk, and wool produced were obtained at 632521.23, 721818.35, 502906.22, 584396.92, 686031.16, 1305807.22, 15088.35, and 12500 rails, respectively. The range of economic coefficients relative to wool weight based on the tendency of maximum profit was between -18.46 and 104.46 for ewe weight and six-month lamb weight, respectively. The traits ranking for the two trends of revenue to cost and cost to revenue were the same. The sensitivity of the economic coefficients of the traits to the price/kg of lamb was high, and the change in the price of wool and the cost of each kg of ewes was low. The ranking of traits in all three trends, income to cost, cost to income, and maximum profit, showed the same results, so that the highest economic coefficient belonged to six-month weight (selling weight of lambs) and survival of lambs to weaning weight in all three trends. The results of the sensitivity test of the economic value of the examined traits showed the highest sensitivity to the change in the price of lamb, and this sensitivity level was low compared to the change in the price of each kilo of ewe.
Conclusion: Based on the estimated economic coefficients, the breeding goals of Lori Bakhtiari sheep were six-month weight, survival to weaning, pregnancy rate, ewe survival, the number of lambs weaned, little size, wool production, the weight of the ram, the weight of the replacement, milk production, and the weight of the ewe, respectively. These show the importance and impact of these traits on the profitability of the system.
Background: Increasing efficiency and profit are the main goals of a production-economic system in the animal husbandry industry; therefore, in designing a genetic improvement program for domestic animals, attention should be paid to the identification of the production system and the factors affecting its performance, as well as the amount of the system profit, i.e., the amount of income and expenses. An important issue in a breeding program is to decide which individuals will transmit the greatest biological economic value to the next generation. The economic coefficient of a trait determines the importance of that trait in the selection decision. Considering the importance of this issue, estimating the economic coefficients of important traits in Lori Bakhtiari sheep will play an important role in determining breeding goals. Various methods have been considered to determine economic coefficients, including profit function methods and bio-economic models, among which bio-economic models are more useful in estimating economic coefficients due to their higher accuracy and flexibility. Since the largest population of sheep is raised in rural systems, studies that can determine the improvement goals and selection index of sheep in rural breeding conditions are important and decisive. The purpose of this study is to identify the sources of cost and income and determine the economic coefficients and improvement goals of Lori Bakhtiari sheep in the rural breeding conditions of this breed.
Methods: In this study, production, reproduction, management, and economic parameters were recorded from four sheep flocks of Lori Bakhtiari with 979 productive ewes from the Naghan and Aliabad regions of Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province. These herds were raised under the rural system (smallholder production circumstances). Data were collected during an annual production cycle from September 2022 to September 2023 and were used to determine breeding goals and absolute and relative economic coefficients considering different trends of maximum profit. Target flocks were identified to investigate these parameters. Ranchers received the necessary training regarding the project, and then data were collected from the herds. To record and collect data, the target herds were divided into seven different groups based on age. The income of the system (selling excess lambs, selling ewes and rams, and selling milk and wool), as well as the costs of the system (including the two parts of fixed costs and management costs), were investigated and then estimated separately for each group. Management costs included labor costs, health costs, and maintenance costs. After estimating the cost and income for each group, the annual profit of the flock was calculated for each ewe in the year of establishment using the income and cost equation. To calculate the economic value of traits, the level of each trait was increased by one unit, while other traits were kept constant at the average level. The difference in profit from the increase of one unit in the trait was considered the absolute economic coefficient. The effects of a 20% increase or decrease in the price of six-month-old live lamb, wool per kg, and total cost of ewe live weight per kg on economic value were used to study the sensitivity test of economic value. Subsequently, breeding goals were determined as linear functions of economically important traits based on the economic value.
Results: The largest part (portion) of income (91.08%) belonged to the selling weight of lambs, and the next largest part was recorded for milk production. The amount of income from wool was non-significant. The highest cost (78.84%) belonged to feed costs, followed by personnel, maintenance, and health costs, respectively. The lowest cost was estimated for fixed costs. The highest contribution of revenue (91.08%) and cost (78.84%) of the production system was found for six-month-old lambs and feeding. Absolute economic coefficients for ewe survival traits, pregnancy rate, lambing frequency, litter size, survival to weaning, sales weight, milk, and wool produced were obtained at 632521.23, 721818.35, 502906.22, 584396.92, 686031.16, 1305807.22, 15088.35, and 12500 rails, respectively. The range of economic coefficients relative to wool weight based on the tendency of maximum profit was between -18.46 and 104.46 for ewe weight and six-month lamb weight, respectively. The traits ranking for the two trends of revenue to cost and cost to revenue were the same. The sensitivity of the economic coefficients of the traits to the price/kg of lamb was high, and the change in the price of wool and the cost of each kg of ewes was low. The ranking of traits in all three trends, income to cost, cost to income, and maximum profit, showed the same results, so that the highest economic coefficient belonged to six-month weight (selling weight of lambs) and survival of lambs to weaning weight in all three trends. The results of the sensitivity test of the economic value of the examined traits showed the highest sensitivity to the change in the price of lamb, and this sensitivity level was low compared to the change in the price of each kilo of ewe.
Conclusion: Based on the estimated economic coefficients, the breeding goals of Lori Bakhtiari sheep were six-month weight, survival to weaning, pregnancy rate, ewe survival, the number of lambs weaned, little size, wool production, the weight of the ram, the weight of the replacement, milk production, and the weight of the ewe, respectively. These show the importance and impact of these traits on the profitability of the system.
Keywords: Breeding goals, Bio-economic model, Economic values, Profitability system, Sensitivity test
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
ژنتیک و اصلاح نژاد دام
Received: 2025/01/13 | Accepted: 2025/05/5
Received: 2025/01/13 | Accepted: 2025/05/5
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