Association of Some Qualitative and Quantitative Traits in Chickens

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONINVESTIGATIONS of possible linkages between various qualitative and quantitative traits in the fowl and the importance of such have resulted in some conflicting reports. More evidence is needed to demonstrate the existence or non-existence of some of these associations and to show their relative importance.Pearl (1912) postulated that fecundity in the fowl was a simply inherited trait due to one autosomal and one sex-linked factor. However, Punnett (1930), using the sex-linked marker genes for barring and silver found no evidence for an association between these and Pearl’s sex-linked fecundity factor. Kan et al. (1959) compared pea vs. single comb with six metric traits and found no significant effects although housing weight approached a significantly heavier weight for the single comb group. Collins et al. (1961) and Smith (1961) found single comb birds heavier than pea comb in juvenile weight; by contrast, however, Siegel and Dudley (1963) found the…