Incidence and heritability of ovine pneumonia, and the relationship with production traits in New Zealand sheep

This study has shown that there is a heritable component to pneumonia in sheep. Including more data from pedigree-recorded flocks with severe pneumonia and a high incidence of pleurisy will enable more accurate estimates of genetic parameters, and subsequent correlations with production and disease traits. This would be aided by routine recording of pneumonia in lungs at slaughter by processing plants.