Screening of three-way crossbred combination and genetic effect analysis of the SNP in the gene in meat sheep.

In order to promote the rapid development of the meat sheep industry, a three-way crossbred combination experiment was carried out with Australian White, Dorper, and Charollais sheep as terminal male parents and the elite F1 hybrids of Australian White   Small-tailed Han (Han), Dorper   Han, and Charollais   Han as female parents, which was based on the screening of a two-way crossbred combination in meat sheep. The growth performance of six groups of three-way crossbred combinations and Han lambs was measured and analyzed, and the effect of a polymorphism in the gene on the growth performance of three-way crossbred lambs was also studied. The results showed that under the same rearing conditions, weight at 3 and 6 months of age and average daily gain from birth to 3 months and from 3 to 6 months of age were all the largest for Australian   (Charollais   Han) crossbred lambs. They were significantly or extremely significant different from the other three-way crossbred combinations and Han lambs ( , ). The body height, body length, chest girth, and cannon bone circumference at 3 months of age and body length, chest girth, and cannon bone circumference at 6 months of age were also the largest for Australian   (Charollais   Han) crossbred lambs. Among them, body length, chest girth, and cannon bone circumference at 3 months of age were significantly different from the other three-way crossbred combinations and Han lambs ( ), and body length, chest girth, and cannon bone circumference at 6 months of age were significantly or extremely significant different from the other three-way crossbred combinations and Han lambs ( , ). The potential genetic effects of the gene on the growth performance indicators of three-way crossbred lambs showed that a mutation site ( .232     ) of this gene had two genotypes: and . Among them, the data of body weights and body sizes from genotype individuals at birth, 3 months old, and 6 months old were significantly higher than those of genotype individuals, and some indicators showed significant or extremely significant differences ( , ), suggesting that higher growth performance was observed in individuals with alleles. To sum up, the crossbred combination of Australian   (Charollais   Han) could be suggested as the optimal choice. The allele of the gene showed potential advantages in the performance of meat production in meat sheep. Based on the current results, we recommend that the offspring of Australian   (Charollais   Han) with the allele should be preferentially utilized for meat sheep production.