AIREML estimation of genetic parameters and study of factors affecting growth and fertility performance of sire line of IBL-80 broiler chicken

Abstract

The present investigation included the data of 29,879 birds pertaining to 8 generations, from 2010 to 2018 on growth line (PB1) of IBL-80 broiler. The mean estimates of growth and fertility traits were BWT0 (39.97±0.05 gms), BWT5 (1189.17±1.45 gms), BWT10 (1723.59±6.26 gms), BWT15 (2165.71±7.90 gms), BWT20 (2611.23±4.10 gms), ADG5 (32.36±0.07 gms/day), ADG10 (13.09±0.14 gms/day), ADG15 (12.38±0.13 gms/day), ADG20 (12.65±0.13 gms/day), AFE (171.80±0.21 days) and ENO40 (62.47±0.25) which indicated higher growth performance of PB1 affected its fertility performance. ADG5 had highest estimate indicating higher growth during chick stage. Least squares analysis indicated that effect of gender, month of hatch and generation were significant (p less than 0.01) for all growth and fertility traits. AIREML heritability estimates indicated appreciable additive variance in BWT0 (0.50), BWT5 (0.54) and ADG5 (0.20). Other growth and fertility traits had lower heritability which was due to stage wise selection in breeder flock. Phenotypic and genetic correlation estimate indicated negative association between growth and fertility traits.