Optimization of alternative breeding schemes for the genetic improvement of common Tigray highland sheep in northern Ethiopia

Table 2 Phenotypic standard deviations $\left( {{\upsigma }_{{\text{p}}} } \right)$, economic values, assumed heritabilities along the diagonal, genetic correlations (above the diagonal) and phenotypic correlations (below the diagonal) used in the simulated selection program for common Tigray highland sheep

Traits	Economic values (US $)	h²	SD $\left( {{\upsigma }_{{\text{p}}} } \right)$	SMW	ADG (kg) (3–6 months)	Litter size	PWLS
SMW	1.22	0.40	2.54	1.00	0.87	0.90	0.94
ADG (3–6 months)	1.07	0.26	0.02	0.43	1.00	0.89	0.23
Litter size	2.05	0.16	0.41	− 0.61	− 0.89	1.00	0.87
PWLS (0–3 month)	1.55	0.12	0.29	− 0.88	0.23	0.27	1.00

1USD = 29.54 Birr, in July 2019
SMW 6 month weight, ADG average daily gain (3–6 month), PWLS pre-weaning lamb survival (0–3 month), SD standard deviation, h² heritability

ISSN: 1297-9686