Estimation of genetic parameters for economic traits in Mazandaran native chickens

The aims of this study were to estimate genetic parameters and genetic trends of economic traits in Iranian native chickens. The used data were collected from the Mazandaran native chickens breeding center located in Mazandaran Province during 1988 and 2011 years. The (co)variance components were estimated through an animal model using Gibbs sampling method. The estimated heritability (±SE) for body weight at hatch (BW1), body weight at age of 8 (BW8) and 12 (BW12) weeks, age at sexual maturity (ASM), body weight at sexual maturity (WSM), the number of produced eggs during the first 12 weeks of production (ENs), the first egg weight (FEW), average egg weight at age of 28 (EW28), 30 (EW30), and 32 (EW32) weeks of production, and average egg weight of 28 to 32 weeks of production (EW28-32) were 0.33(±0.02), 0.29(±0.02), 0.28(±0.02), 0.39(±0.02), 0.47(±0.02), 0.24(±0.02), 0.20(±0.02), 0.34(±0.02), 0.39(±0.02), 0.40(±0.01) and 0.51(±0.02), respectively. The average inbreeding coefficient was 2.8%, and ranged from zero to 29.8%. The results revealed significant effect of inbreeding on the BW1, BW8, ASM, ENs and EW28-32. The estimated genetic trends for BW8, BW12, WSM, FEW, EW28, EW30, EW32, ENs and EW28-32 were significant.

Heritability, Genetic trend, Genetic parameters, Mazandaran native chickens