Genetics of Body Conformation and Feed Efficiency Characteristics in a Control Line of Rhode Island Red Chicken

This investigation aimed to assess genetics of body conformation and feed efficiency traits in a control line of Rhode Island Red (RIR) chicken taking single hatched out pedigreed 100 chicks at Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar, India. Data was analyzed by least squares analysis of variance. Least squares means of chick weight (CW), body weight (BW), shank length (SL), keel length (KL), breast angle (BA), body weight gain (WG), feed intake (FC) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were estimated at various weeks of age. Sex had significant effect on BA at 4th week, SL at 12th week, SL and KL at 16th week; males being better than females throughout the ages, but sex did not show any significant effect on any feed efficiency traits; though males performed better than females almost at all ages. Sire had significant effect on CW, KL at 6th week, SL, KL and BA at 12th week, BW and BA at 16th week. Sire also affected (P<0.05) WG at 8th week and FC throughout the ages; but not FCR at any age. FC also varied (P<0.05) among the feeding groups at 4th and 12th weeks. All the traits excluding FC were heritable at variable magnitude. The estimates of genetic (r(G)) and phenotypic (r(P)) correlations coefficients were positive in trends and high in magnitude uniformly among all the intra-week body weights and body conformation traits. The rG estimates were also positive in trends and variable in magnitude at different weeks of age excepting at 16th week among various feed efficiency traits excluding WG vs. FC which could not follow any uniform trend throughout the ages. The rP estimates were positive between FC and FCR and negative between FCR and WG excepting at 8th and 6th week, respectively. These findings may be helpful for improvement program of the chicken line.