Transferrin Polymorphism versus Growth Rate in Lambs, Polish Long-wool Sheep – II. Analysis of relation between transferrin polymorphism of lamb blood serum versus growth rate of lambs up to age of 5 months

Abstract. The flock comprised 3419 lambs, either sex, from the four subsequent lambings ofthe Polish long-wool sheep and the subject ofthe study was to attempt to verify a hypothesis ofthe polygenic inheritance ofthe growth rate of lambs in the six periods of living, (0–28, 0–100, 0–152, 28–100, 28–152 and 100–152 days respectively) and to find possible relations between the transferrin polymorphism and lamb growth rate. The relations found between the transferrin polymorphism and lamb growth rate and the preliminary evaluation leading to the identification of alleles of large effectiveness show possibilities to use the transferrin polymorphism as a genetic marker of the traits concerned for the breeding – selecting scheme.