The animals were untreated into the pasture and quickly became infected with gastrointestinal strongyles (GDS). The still-growing animals responded to this infection with varying growth rates and could thus be classified into four phenotypes (low-performing, high-performing, non-resilient, resilient). From the first generation of sons, 18 animals (rams) were infected using the same procedure and likewise classified into phenotypic groups. The correlation coefficient of the phenotypes between mothers and sons is only 0.12.
Since all animals were monitored until 2024, it was observed over time that different animals acquired individual immunity and the overall pressure of MDS decreased. This very small-scale study shows that genetic resilience can be inherited to a limited extent, but that, above all, promoting individual immunity can lead to success. The entire range of recommended measures for sheep farming can be used for this purpose.
Team
Dr. Thomas Guggenberger, MSc
Institute Director Livestock Research
Dr. Ferdinand Ringdorfer
Sheep and goats
Reinhard Huber
Sheep and goats
DIin Maria Naynar
Sheep and goats