Inheritance of juvenile body weight at five weeks of age in a colored synthetic sire line broiler

Abstract

 The data utilized in the present study pertaining to 2752 progenies (1432 males and 1320 females) from 62 sires and 496 dam of  colored synthetic sire line broilers maintained at AICRP on Poultry Improvement of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar located at College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The mean±S.E. for body weight at day old, five week, breast angle, shank length and keel length all measured at five weeks of age, for males and females were presented.  The heritability estimates for body weight at five weeks of age were high while for other traits the estimates were low to moderate
 increase in both the sexes. The genetic correlations of five week body weight with all other traits were positive and high in both the sexes except body weight at day old age. The phenotypic correlations for these traits were positive but low in magnitude. Results suggested that a selection index using body weight, breast angle, shank length and keel length at five weeks of age is expected to give better response for the sire line parents than selection for body weight alone.