Genetic parameters for selected production traits in the CTN sire line and the MLV dam line across three generations
The study was conducted from January 2021 to June 2024 at the Thuy Phuong Poultry Research Center to develop two high-performing and high-quality chicken lines: the CTN male line (a cross between Choi and TN chickens) selected for improved body weight, and the MLV female line (a cross between Mia and LV chickens) selected for enhanced egg production. The objective of this study was to use the animal model in VCE6 software to estimate genetic parameters, including additive genetic variance, phenotypic variance, heritability (h²), and genetic (rG) and phenotypic (rP) correlations of major production traits, thereby evaluating their genetic characteristics in the two chicken lines. The results showed that the heritability of 8-week body weight in the CTN line ranged from 0.36 to 0.44, with a slightly decreasing trend across generations. The heritability of egg production at 20-38 weeks of age in the MLV line ranged from 0.25 to 0.27. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between 8-week body weight and egg production up to 38 weeks of age in the CTN line were negative, moderately strong, and statistically significant (rG from -0.66 to -0.17; rP from -0.73 to -0.23). Similarly, in the MLV line, these two traits were also negatively correlated, with rG ranging from -0.23 to -0.14 and rP ranging from -0,31 to -0.17. These findings provide a scientific basis for determining appropriate selection strategies in breeding programs for Vietnamese native chickens, aiming to simultaneously improve body weight and egg production in the CTN and MLV specialty lines.
