Construction and evaluation of multi-trait selection indices for improving some traits of economic importance in growth line in broilers

Data collected from 1445 chicks of 40 sires of Red Cornish breed maintained at Poultry Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar for day old body weight, 5 & 8 week body weight, weight gain during 5–8 weeks, 5 & 8 week shank length, breast angle and keel bone length and feed consumption and efficiency during 5–8 weeks of age were used to construct the general selection indices. The heritabilities computed for the traits studied were low to moderate in magnitude. Most of the genetic and phenotypic correlations between growth and conformation traits were positive and highly significant (P<0.01). Similar trend was observed for feed consumption traits. Total 30 selection indices have been constructed considering all the traits in various combinations. The most efficient index was the index combining all the traits in terms of aggregate genetic gain (88.79 units) and (R_IH) was 0.920.