Genetic Variation in Pure Lines and Crosses of Large-Bodied Turkey Lines. 2. Carcass Traits and Body Shape

Abstract

An experimental line (F) of turkeys was reciprocally crossed with sire lines (designated A and B) from each of two commercial breeders in order to study the inheritance of carcass traits and body shape. The birds were weighed and killed at 17 wk of age, and various measurements of muscling, leg bones, and body shape were made. Additive genetic variation, as indicated by line differences, was an important source of variation in most traits. The only traits that did not exhibit a line difference in any comparison were weight of the drumstick muscles, tarsometatarsal width, keel length, and Body Depth 2 (body depth at a point 2.54 cm anterior to the posterior end of the keel). Heterosis of live BW was greater in males than in females. Heterosis in the weight of the pectoralis major and p. minor muscles were similar to those of live BW, but heterosis in the weight of the leg muscles were higher than that of live BW. The average heterosis for bone measurements (length of the femur, tarsometatarsal, and tibiotarsal bones and tarsometatarsal width) was very low and ranged from −0.3 to 1.4%. For measurements of body shape [keel length, Body Depth 1 (body depth measured at the cranial process of the keel), Body Depth 2, ratio of Body Depth 1 to Body Depth 2, length, width, and height of the body cavity, and body cavity volume index), heterosis was low and the average ranged from −2.7 to 2.6%.Based on an analysis of both sexes combined, the commercial sire lines differed in BW, weights of the p. minor and drumstick muscles, weights of the tarsometatarsal, femur, and tibiotarsal bones, lengths of the tarsometatarsal and femur bones, and various measurements of body shape (Body Depth 1, body depth ratio, body cavity length and height, and body cavity volume index). Relative to the commercial sire lines, the F line was smaller, had less breast and leg muscling, and, in general, larger leg bones when sexes were combined. The carcass of the F line was deeper than that of the commercial sire lines when measured at the cranial process of the keel but not at 2.54 cm anterior to the posterior portion of the keel. Body cavity height and body cavity volume index were larger in the F line than in the commercial sire lines.