Inheritance of important economic traits in 3 pure lines and a control population of white Leghorn

Abstract

The data on 514, 609, 513 and 530 progeny of WH, IWB, PWK and control populations of White Leghorn for different economic traits were analyzed. The effect of hatch was significant for most of the traits in different populations studied. The average age at sexual maturity was lowest (146.13 days) in IWK. There was no significant difference in 20 week body weight. The body weight at 40 weeks of age was significantly higher in IWK and control populations than IWH and IWI strains. The early egg weights (EW28 and EW40) and egg mass (EM40) were highest in IWK, while part period egg production (EN40) was highest in IWH. The heritability of age at sexual maturity from sire, dam and sire + dam component of variance was low to moderate in FWEI, IIWK and control populations, while in LWI strain, it was moderate. The heritability estimates of body weight at 20 and 40 weeks of age (from different components) were low in IWH strain, while in other populations, these estimates were moderate to high. The heritability of EW28 from sire component variance was moderate to high in different populations, while the heritability 01 EW40 from sire component was high in all the 4 populations. The heritability of part period egg production (EN40) and egg mass (EM40) was low in IWH and IWI strains and low to moderate in TWK and control populations. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between different combinations of traits varied in direction and magnitude in different populations. There was highly positive genetic and phenotypic correlations between EW28 and EW40 and between egg mass with its component traits. However, there was negative genetic correlation between egg weight and part period egg number.