Production and body composition traits of broilers in relation to breast weight evaluated by path analysis

Scientia Agricola

Leandro Homrich Lorentz²  Leila De Genova Gaya¹  Raquel Lunedo¹  José Bento Sterman Ferraz¹  Fernanda Marcondes De Rezende¹  Tércio Michelan Filho¹ 

[1] ,UNIPAMPAItaqui RS ,Brasil

关键词: animal breeding;    multivariate analysis;    phenotypic correlation;    poultry;    pre-selection;    melhoramento animal;    análise multivariada;    correlação fenotípica;    aves;    pré-seleção;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0103-90162011000300008

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Breast weight has great economic importance in poultry industry, and may be associated with other variables. This work aimed to estimate phenotypic correlations between performance (live body weight at 7 and 28 days, and at slaughter, and depth of the breast muscle measured by ultrasonography), carcass (eviscerated body weight and leg weight) and body composition (heart, liver and abdominal fat weight) traits in a broiler line, and quantify the direct and indirect influence of these traits on breast weight. Path analysis was used by expanding the matrix of partial correlation in coefficients which give the direct influence of one trait on another, regardless the effect of the other traits. The simultaneous maintenance of live body weight at slaughter and eviscerated body weight in the matrix of correlations might be harmful for statistical analysis involving systems of normal equations, like path analysis, due to the observed multicollinearity. The live body weight at slaughter and the depth of the breast muscle as measured by ultrasonography directly affected breast weight and were identified as the most responsible factors for the magnitude of the correlation coefficients obtained between the studied traits and breast weight. Individual pre-selection for these traits could favor an increased breast weight in the future reproducer candidates of this line if the broilers' environmental conditions and housing are maintained, since the live body weight at slaughter and the depth of breast muscle measured by ultrasonography were directly related to breast weight.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
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