Estimation of genetic parameters of various economic traits in a synthetic broiler dam line

A study to estimate heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations for growth and egg production traits was carried out with the data pertaining to1624 broiler dam line maintained at Poultry Breeding Farm of Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, LUVAS, Hisar. Traits recorded during the study were body weights at 6, 20 and 40 weeks, age at first egg, egg weight, egg number, egg mass, clutch, pause size up to 40 weeks of age, percent fertility of selected pullets, percent hatchability on total egg set basis and percent hatchability on fertile egg set basis. As per results, the pooled least squares means of BW₆, BW₂₀ BW₄₀ AFE, EN₄₀ EW₄₀, EM₄₀ CS, PS, PF, TES and FES 832.81±4.80 g, 2314.24±23.33 g, 2912.49±30.31 g, 147.89±0.77 days, 79.37±0.64, 53.18±0.21’g, 4220.67±35.74 g, 2.74±0.05 eggs, 1.97±0.08 days, 81.04±0.60 %, 59.65±0.76 % and 72.86±0.64 % respectively. Results pointed out that the effect of hatch within generation was significant (P<0.01) on the BW₂₀, BW₄₀, AFE, EW₄₀, EN₄₀, EM₄₀, CS, PS, PF, TES and FES. The heritability of growth traits, production traits and reproduction traits ranged from 0.14±0.06 to 0.23±0.08, 0.22±0.08 to 0.32±0.11 and 0.15±0.29±0.07 respectively. Low to moderate estimates of heritability for growth and production traits and moderate estimates of heritability for reproduction traits indicated that these traits can be improved through family selection.