Early Growth and Development and Nonlinear Model Fitting Analysis of Ashidan Yak

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Ashidan yak is a new breed of hornless yak developed by Chinese scientists, which has an important economic value. However, little is known about the growth of Ashidan yaks. This study analyzed the body weight and body size measurements of 260 female Ashdan yaks and compared the performance of five nonlinear models (Logistic model, Gompertz model, Brody model, von Bertalanffy model and Richards model). Our results showed that the early growth and development of Ashidan yak change with the seasons, and the Richards model performs better among the five models. ABSTRACT: Understanding animal growth plays an important role in improving animal genetics and breeding. In order to explore the early growth and development law of Ashidan yak, the body weight (BW), wither height (WH), body oblique length (BL) and chest girth (CG) of 260 female Ashidan yaks were measured. These individuals grew under grazing conditions, and growth traits were measured at 6, 12, 18 and 30 months of age. Then the absolute growth and relative growth of Ashidan yak were calculated, and five nonlinear models (Logistic model, Gompertz model, Brody model, von Bertalanffy model and Richards model) were used to fit the growth curve of Ashidan yak. The fitting effect of the model was evaluated according to MSE, AIC and BIC. The results showed that the growth rate of Ashidan yak was the fastest from 12 to 18 months old, and the growth was slow or even stagnant from 6 to 12 months old. The AIC and BIC values of the Richards model were the lowest among the five models, with an AIC value of 4543.98 and a BIC value of 4563.19. The Richards model estimated body weight at 155.642 kg. In summary, the growth rate of female Ashidan yak changes with the seasons, growing faster in warm seasons and slower in cold seasons. Richards model is the best model to describe the growth curve of female Ashidan yak in five nonlinear models.