Abstract

Heritabilities, dominance variation and genetic correlations (rpc) among pure and crossbred performance were estimated for egg production and egg quality traits in 4 generations of two nucleus lines of egg-laying chickens and their cross, all reared in similar environments. Estimates of rpc were high (0.76 to 0.94) and coupled with estimates of dominance variance (d2 = 0.04 to 0.09) and the absence of obvious heterosis, indicate little advantage to be gained from use of crossbred data in genetic improvement, where pure lines and crossbreds are reared in a similar non-stressful environment.

B. Besbes, John P Gibson

Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Volume 25: Lactation; growth and efficiency; meat quality; role of exotic breeds in the tropics; design of village breeding programmes;, , 459–462, 1998