INDIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, cilt.84, sa.10, ss.1066-1068, 2007 (SCI-Expanded)
Growth is one of the important characteristics in livestock. Genetic and environmental factors have important effect on growth. Growth rate is not same in the life period of animals. Determinations of various growth parameters,such as body weight, body length and heart depth at different ages are quite important for selection-of animals at early phases of growth. Manipulation of selection due to these parameters helps to determine suitable management and feeding regimens and to decide optimal age at which animals can be used for production purposes (Bayram et al., 2004; Kor et al., 2006). Some authors (Lawrence and Fowler, 2002; Landgraft et al., 2002) informed that growth curve parameters can be also used as direct breeding criteria in improving some of the growths associated traits in addition to describing growth in animals.