Genetic parameter estimation for live weight during different life periods in Anatolian buffalo raised in Istanbul

In Türkiye, as in many parts of the world, buffalo play a significant role in livestock production alongside cattle. Although buffaloes generally exhibit lower productivity than cattle, they are valued for their resilience against challenging environmental conditions and for the unique quality of their milk and meat products. This study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters of live-weight gain, a key trait for improving profitability in buffalo breeding. Heritability estimates were obtained for birth weight (BW), live weight at 6 months (LW₆), and live weight at 12 months (LW₁₂) using data from 910 animals across 42 farms in the province of Istanbul. Genetic evaluations were performed using the BUGA 1.0 software, applying the AI-REML algorithm. The mean weights were 39.02 $\pm$ 0.169 kg (BW), 140.86 $\pm$ 0.4 kg (LW₆), and 255.97 $\pm$ 0.692 kg (LW₁₂). The corresponding heritability estimates were 0.5006 $\pm$ 0.000029 for BW, 0.5001 $\pm$ 0.000035 for LW₆, and 0.5000 $\pm$ 0.0000012 for LW₁₂. Additive genetic effects exhibited moderate to high accuracy, ranging from 0.63 to 0.68. The proportion of animals with positive additive genetic effects was relatively high for LW₆ and LW₁₂ at 49.34 % and 48.13 %, respectively. Genetic trend analysis was also conducted over time for all three traits, highlighting the potential for selection-based improvement in Anatolian buffalo.