GENETIC PARAMETER ESTIMATION OF GROWTH AND REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF BOHOLANO NATIVE CHICKEN

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of the growth and reproductive characteristics of Boholano native chicken. Genetic parameters for economically significant traits were calculated using the REML method of SAS 9.1. Data used were from three generations of Boholano native chicken raised at Ubay stock Farm, Ubay, Bohol. Estimated value of heritability for body weight at various ages (BW1, BW21, BW45, BW75, BW100 and BW120) ranged from 0.05 to 0.28 while heritability for reproductive traits were 0.15, 0.07 and 0.03 for EW, fertility and hatchability. Genetic correlation for body weights at different ages showed low to high positive correlation (0.10 to 0.84). Meanwhile, correlation of body weight to EW, fertility and hatchability were   0.15 to -0.70. Conclusively, the magnitude of heritability for reproductive traits were lower than the heritability for growth traits. Nonetheless, results of this study are an important basis of selection for genetic improvement of local chicken in the Philippines.