Objective It is vital to screen simple and efficient auxiliary indicators for evaluating gastrointestinal nematode infection intensity in sheep, given the ubiquitous prevalence of such infections.
Methods In this study, Teha mutton sheep were selected as experimental animals. Fecal egg count (FEC) was adopted as the core indicator to assess nematode infection severity. Phenotypic data including FAMAC© scores, hematocrit (HCT) and body weight were measured. A single-trait animal model was used to estimate genetic parameters of all traits, and phenotypic as well as genetic correlations among traits were analyzed.
Results Among the 549 Teha mutton sheep naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes, the heritability of FEC was low 0.13(±0.11), which was largely affected by environmental factors. The heritability of FAMAC© score was moderate 0.28( ± 0.13), and it had a significant positive correlation with FEC, proving that FAMAC© score could serve as an auxiliary indicator to evaluate nematode infection intensity in Teha mutton sheep. Besides, FEC showed negative phenotypic correlations with both HCT and body weight, which indicated that aggravated nematode infection would impair sheep health and production performance.
Conclusion The findings offer a novel auxiliary indicator for evaluating gastrointestinal nematode infection in Teha mutton sheep, and provide theoretical support for further application of the FAMAC© system in grazing mutton sheep populations in Xinjiang.
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