With the objective of estimating genetic parameters of performance and carcass characteristics of commercially reared ostriches in Ourinhos, SP, it was used the Bayesian method, by using Gibbs sampling algorithm, available in the program MTGSAM (Multiple Trait Gibbs Sampling in Animal Models). It was estimated the heritabilities and genetic correlations for: birth live weight (BW), corrected live weight at 190 days (W190) and at 360 days (W360) of age; pre-slaughter live weight (PSW), weight loss during transport and fasting (WLT), carcass weight (CW) and carcass dressing (CD). The respective heritabilities were 0.11, 0.12, 0.33, 0.05, 0.04, 0.20, 0.05. For the correlations, it was found values of -0.11 between carcass dressing and birth live weight, 0.84 and 0.64 for carcass weight with weight at 190 days of age and carcass weight with weight at 360 days. Selection for birth weight or for carcass dressing is not feasible as it is for weight at 360 days of age and carcass weight. The selection for weight at 360 days of age can improve carcass weight whereas selection for weight at 190 days can increase carcass dressing.
carcass dressing; carcass weight; genetic correlations; heritability; life weight; Struthio camelus
