A study on genetic and phenotypic trends for some performance characteristics in Azerbaijan's native chickens

In this study, (co)variance components and heritability for performance traits of body weight in 12 weeks, body weight at sexual maturity, age at sexual maturity and egg number of 43,180 birds native Azerbaijan during 14 generations (1988 to 2010) were estimated. Data analysis were undertaken using restricted maximum likelihood method through applying a multivariate animal model. Heritability of the traits was in the range of 0.097 (egg number) to 0.409 (body weight in 12 weeks). High genetic correlations were found between age at sexual maturity and egg number (-0.83) and between body weight at 12 weeks and body weight at sexual maturity (0.744). Genetic trends for body weight at 12 weeks, body weight at sexual maturity, age at sexual maturity and the number of eggs were 14.29 g, -5.5 g, -1.62 day and 0.23 numbers, respectively. The findings of this research revealed that lowering the age of sexual maturity will increase the egg number.