1- Abegaz, S., J.B. Van Wyk, and J.J. Olivier. 2005. Model comparisons and genetic and environmental parameter estimates of growth and the Kleiber ratio in Horro sheep. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci. 35: 30-40.
2- Ahmadi, M., H. Roshanfekr, E. Asadi Khoshoei, and Y. Mohammadi. 2004. Study on genetic and phenotypic parameters for some growth traits in Sanjabi sheep of Kermanshah. J. Agric. Nat. Res. 11(3):91-98. (in Persian with English abstract).
3- Akaike, H. 1974. A new look at the statistical model identification. IEEE Trans. Automat. Contr. 19: 716–723.
4- Asadi Khoshoei, E., S. R. Miraei-Ashtiani, A. Turkmenzehi, Sh. Rahimi, and R. Vaez Torshizi. 2000. Evaluation of Kleiber ratio as one of criterion for selecting ram in Lori Bakhtiari sheep. Iranian J. Agric. Sci. 30(4):649-655. (in Persian with English abstract).
5- Badenhorst, M. A. 1990. The Kleiber ratio as a possible selection for sire selection. The Shepherd. 35: (11): 18-19.
6- Bahreini Behzadi, M. R., F. Eftekhar Shahroudi, and D. Van Vleck. 2005. Effect of maternal traits on heritability estimate and determination of environmental factors affecting on initial growth traits in sheep. J. Sci. Technol. Agric. Nat. Res. 11(1):195-202. (in Persian).
7- Baneh, H.S., and H. Hafezian. 2009. Effects of environmental factors on growth traits in Ghezel sheep. Afr. J. Biotechnol. 8(12): 2903-2907.
8- Bergh, L., M. M. Scholtz, and G. J. Erasmus. 1992. Identification and assessment of the best animals: The Kleiber Ratio as a selection criteria for beef cattle. Proc. Aust. Assoc. Anim. Breed. Genet. 10: 338- 340.
9- Elfadilli, M., C. Michaux, J. Detilleux, and P. L. Leroy. 2000. Genetic parameters for growth traits of the Moroccan Timahdit breed of sheep. Small Rumin. Res. 37: 203-208.
10- Farhangfar, H., H. Naeemipour, and B. Zinvand. 2007. Application of Random Regression Model to Estimate Genetic Parameters for Average Daily Gains in Lori-Bakhtiari Sheep Breed of Iran. Pak. J. Biol. Sci. 10: 2407-2412.
11- Gafouri-Kesbi, F., and M. P. Eskandarinasab. 2008. An evalution of maternal influences on growth traits: the Zandi sheep breed of Iran as an example. J. Anim. Feed Sci. 17: 519-529.
12- Galal, E. S. E., H. R. M. Metawi, A. M. Aboul-Naga, and A. L. Abdel-Aziz. 1996. Performance of and factors affecting the small-holder sheep production system in Egypt. Small Rumin. Res. 19(2): 97-102.
13- Ghafouri-Kesbi, F., M. Ali Abbasi, F. Afraz, M. Babaei, H. Baneh, and R. Abdollahi Arpanahi. 2011. Genetic analysis of growth rate and Kleiber ratio in Zandi sheep. Trop Anim Health Prod. 43(6): 1153-1159.
14- Gholaminia, A. H., and J. Shodja. 2005. Estimation of genetic and phenotypic parameters in Shall sheep. Proceedings of 4th National Conference of Islamic Republic of Iran Biotechnology, Kerman, Iran.
15- Jafaroghli, M., A. Rashidi, M. S. Mokhtari, and A. A. Shadparvar. 2010. (Co)Variance components and genetic parameter estimates for growth traits in Moghani sheep. Small Rumin. Res. 91: 170–177.
16- Kalantar Nistanaki, M. 2004. Study on some environmental factors affecting on growth traits in Zandi sheep. Res. Agric. 4(2):49-58.
17- Karami, K., H. Moradi Shahre Babak, A. Ghazikhani Shad, and A. Mirzamohammadi. 2012. Estimation of genetic parameters for preweaning weight traits in Zandi sheep. Proceedings of 5th Animal Science Congress of Iran, Isfahan, Iran.
18- Matika, O., J. B. Van Wyk, G. J. Erasmus and R. L. Baker, 2003. Genetic parameter estimates in Sabi sheep. Livest. Prod. Sci. 79:17-28.
19- Meyer, K. 2006. WOMBAT- A program for mixed model Analyses by Restricted Maximum Likelihood. User Notes. Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, Armidale, 55pp.
20- Mohammadi, H., M. Moradi-Shahrebabak, H. Moradi-Shahrebabak, A. Bahrami, and M. Dorostkar. 2013. Model comparisons and genetic parameter estimates of growth and the Kleiber ratio in Shal sheep. Arch. Tierz. 56:264-275.
21- Mohammadi, K., A. Rashidi, M. S. Mokhtari, and M. T. Beigi Nassiri. 2011. The estimation of (co)variance components for growth traits and kleiber ratios in zandi sheep. Small Rumin. Res. 99: 116-121.
22- Mohammadi, Y., A. Rashidi, M. S. Mokhtari, and A. K. Esmailizadeh. 2010. Quantitive genetic analysis of growth traits and kleber ratios in sanjabi sheep. Small Rumin. Res. 93: 88-93.
23- Rafiei, F., N. Emam Jome, and Sh. Nanekarani. 2007. Application of linear models in prediction of animal breeding of animals. 1st ed. Haghshenas publication, Rasht, Iran.
24- Rashidi, A., M. S Mokhtari, A. K. Esmailizadeh, and M. AsadiFozi. 2011. Genetic analysis of ewe productivity traits in Moghani sheep. Small Rumin. Res. 96: 11-15.
25- Rashidi, A., M. S. Mokhtari, A. Safi Jahanshahi, and M. R. Mohammad Abadi. 2008. Genetic parameter estimates of pre-weaning growth traits in Kermani sheep. Small Rumin. Res. 74: 165-171.
26- SAS Institute. 2003. User’s Guide: Statistics, Version 9.1 Edition. SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC.
27- Savar-Sofla, S., A. Nejati-Javaremi, and M. Ali Abbasi. 2011. Investigation on direct and maternal effects on growth traits and the Kleiber ratio in Moghani sheep. World Appl. Sci. J. 14 (9): 1313-1319.
28- Schoeman, S. J., 1995. The relevance of W0.75 as predictor of actual weaning efficiency in sheep. Proc. Aust. Assoc. Anim. Breed. Genet. 11: 394-397.
29- Vatankhah, M., M. Moradi Sharebabak, A. Nejati Javarami, S. R. Miraei-Ashtiani, and R. Vaez Torshizi 2004. A review of sheep breeding in Iran. Proc. 1st Iranian Congr. Anim. Aqua. Sci., Tehran, Iran.
30- Willham, R. L. 1972. The role of maternal effects in animal breeding. III. Biometrical aspects of maternal effects in animals. J. Anim. Sci. 35: 1288-1293.