Genetic evaluation of productivity traits in the VST2 egg-type duck line after two generations of stabilized selection
The study was conducted at the VIGOVA Duck Breeding Center from 2023 to 2024 to evaluate the genetic stability and performance consistency of the VST2 egg-type duck line after two generations (G6–G7) of stabilized selection. Continuous pedigree data from seven generations (G1–G7) were analyzed to estimate genetic parameters using REML (VCE 6.0.2), calculate estimated breeding values (EBV) by BLUP (PEST 4.2.3), and determine genetic trends through EBV regression. Results indicated that all performance traits remained high and stable across the two generations, with no significant differences (P>0.05). Egg production at 52 weeks averaged 281.15 eggs/hen, feed consumption was 2.23 kg/10 eggs, and mean egg weight was 72.11 g. The yolk ratio (35.16%) and high Haugh unit values reflected superior egg quality. Fertility and hatchability rates reached 94.49% and 76.30%, respectively. Heritability estimates ranged from low to moderate (egg number = 0.18; egg weight = 0.26; yolk ratio = 0.27; body weight = 0.33; age at first egg = 0.28). The nearly flat EBV trends from G6 to G7 demonstrated that the stabilized selection phase effectively maintained genetic and phenotypic uniformity. These findings confirm that the stabilization phase successfully consolidated high-performing traits of the VST2 line, providing a strong genetic foundation for its large-scale dissemination and commercial application.
