A Genetic Analysis of Growth and Egg Production in Meat-Type Chickens

Abstract

WHAT economically important characters might be affected by rapidly increasing rate of growth from selection for increased body weight at eight weeks of age? The results may be predicted from the genetic parameters in a randombred population. The validity of these parameters may be checked by measuring the response as well as the correlated responses obtianed from a selection experiment. The first part of this report is concerned with the genetic parameters in the Ohio Randombred White Gold meat-type chickens. The second part reports experiments which measure the increase in eight-week body weight and the correlated egg production characters after growth rate has been increased by selection. The composition and methods used for maintenance of the Ohio Randombred White Gold chickens were described by Goodman and Jaap (1960b). Genetic parameters have been calculated from progenies of diallel matings as explained by …