Estimation and Analysis of Genetic Association Between Important External and Internal Egg Quality Traits in White Leghorns

Abstract

Under this study, it has been aimed to determine the genetic correlations for different external and internal egg quality traits. The eggs were collected form 548 progenies (1 egg from each progeny) of 282 dams mated to 47 sires of a White Leghorn flock at Central Poultry Development Organization (CPDO), Eastern Region, Bhubaneswar, Government of India. Full-sib method of analysis was adopted to estimate the existing genetic correlations among different egg quality traits. Egg weight was found to have statistically significant (p<0.01), positive genetic correlations with shell weight (0.73), albumen weight (0.73), yolk weight (0.68), yolk height (0.51), yolk diameter (0.46) and yolk index (0.42). It was also determined that most of the internal quality traits of the egg changed at statistically significant levels (p<0.01) according to the changes in egg weight and egg breadth. Our studies show that if selection for albumen height will be operated, it will positively affect to internal and external traits whereas shape index will be affected negatively (−0.52±0.14). It is feasible to formulate an index selection depending upon the magnitude of correlations between different quality traits for improvement of more than one traits at a time.