@article {3672,
	title = {Genome-wide association studies for milk traits in New Zealand dairy sheep},
	journal = {New Zealand Journal of Animal Science and Production},
	volume = {82},
	year = {2022},
	month = {01/2022},
	pages = {64-68},
	address = {Online},
	abstract = {The New Zealand dairy sheep industry has grown markedly in the last decades. With better genetics and management, companies have been able to improve key production traits. This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with milk traits in dairy sheep. We performed genome-wide association (GWA) analyses for milk yield, fat and protein content using data from commercial farms. We used 54,698 milk yield records and 24,891 fat and protein records from 4,590 and 2,823 ewes, respectively. Phenotypes were collected between August 2018 and April 2021 across three locations in New Zealand. They were adjusted for flock, age, lactation, lambing date, weeks in milk and permanent environment. Animals were genotyped with commercial SNP chips with 13,759 markers available after quality control. GWA models included the genomic relationship matrix, three principal components and genomic inflation correction for the p-values. We found four genome-wide significant associations for milk yield. These variants were mapped to eight genes, PDZRN4 (intron), EDEM2, PROCR, MMP24 (intron), EIF6, FAM83C, UQCC1, and HDAC9 (intron). Of these, PDZRN4, HDAC9 and MMP24 were associated with milk traits in previous studies. No significant associations were found for fat and protein content. Genes shown here are promising candidate genes, requiring validation in independent samples.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Costilla R and Chan PB and Mcrae KM and McEwan JC and Dodds KG and Newman SA and Baird HJ and Henry H}
}
@conference {41196,
	title = {The Sheep Improvement Limited (SIL) genetic engine},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {60},
	year = {2000},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {195-197},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Hamilton},
	abstract = {The Sheep Improvement Limited (SIL) genetic engine (GE) interfaces with the SIL national database. It calculates breeding values from data provided by the database and reports these back to the database along with adjusted deviations and genetic trends graphs. The SIL system is a distributed and modular design, with the database and the GE located on separate computers connected via the Internet. The individual GE components are also modular and version 2 consists of 6 separate goal trait modules: growth, meat, wool, reproduction, survival and host resistance to internal parasites. This modular design allows each goal trait module to be easily upgraded and additional modules can be added as required. The GE uses across flock and year multivariate animal model BLUP. Evaluations can be requested as required by the user via Internet access to the database. The size of the job submitted scales transparently up to requests involving more than 200,000 animals, sufficient for the largest across flock sire referencing schemes. The intention is that the system will be continuously extended and improved. Near term developments are likely to extend to across breed analyses, the inclusion of a facial eczema module, and improved diagnostics. In the longer term it is anticipated that information from genetic markers will be included. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Newman SA and Dodds KG and Clarke JN and Garrick DJ and McEwan JC}
}
