Genetic Parameters for Body-Weight Traits of a Native Poultry Breed in Thailand

Abstract

The heritabilities and genetic correlations for body-weights measured at day-old (BW1D), and at 4 (BW4), 8 (BW8), 12 (BW12), 16 (BW16), 20 (BW20) and 24 (BW24) weeks of age, and also at first egg (BWFE) of Thai native chickens (Lueng Hang Kao Kabinburi, LHKK) were estimated using Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) procedures. Data were from the Kabinburi Livestock Research and Breeding Center, Thailand and the records contained five generations of performance records on 11,588 birds born from 2003 to 2007. Estimates of heritabilities for additive genetic effects of body-weight traits ranged from 0.10 to 0.51. Heritabilities for maternal genetic effects ranged from 0.04 to 0.25, except for BWFE, which had no significant maternal genetic effects. Significant maternal permanent environmental effects were observed for all traits, except for BW24 and BWFE. Estimates of additive genetic correlations between the body-weight traits ranged from 0.25 to 0.99. Estimated heritabilities and genetic correlations between body-weight traits suggest that the growth performance of LHKK chickens can be improved by selection on one or more juvenile weight traits.