Simulating Economic Values of a Genetic Improvement Program for Australian Farmed Saltwater Crocodiles
No hay miniatura disponible
Fecha
Título de la revista
ISSN de la revista
Título del volumen
Editor
Resumen
Descripción
Farm profitability can be increased through the selection of genetically superior animals
as future breeders. In genetic improvement programs, candidates for breeders are ranked
by the profitability of their offspring, expressed as a weighted sum of the genetic gain
from selection. Genetic improvement is expressed as a shift or change in the slopes of
functions describing the biology of saltwater crocodiles. The weights, or economic
values, are estimated as the change in profit when the bioeconomic profit function is
reoptimised with respect to slaughter age following genetic improvement in each
selection objective. Empirical results tend to show that farm profitability increases the
most for a reduction in juvenile slaughter age, an increase in the percentage of first grade
skins produced, and an increase in the number of viable hatchlings per clutch.