Genetic parameters for egg number, egg weight, and eggshell color in three Catalan poultry breeds

Heritabilities for egg number, egg weight, and eggshell color (percentage light absorbance) at 39 wk of age, and the genetic correlations between them were estimated by restricted maximum likelihood in three Catalan poultry breeds: Penedesenca Negra (PN), Prat Lleonada (PL), and Empordanesa Roja (ER). Additive genetic differences between these breeds were also estimated. Data were from the IRTA Poultry Genetic Conservation Program and consisted of records from 1,309 PN, 1,466 PL, and 1,440 ER hens, which were obtained from 80 contemporary batches per breed hatched between 1987 and 1992. Estimates of heritability for egg number, egg weight, and eggshell color were, 0.20, 0.59, and 0.49 for PN, 0.31, 0.18, and 0.53 for PL; and 0.33, 0.50, and 0.27 for ER. Estimated genetic correlations between egg number and egg weight, egg number and shell color, and egg weight and shell color were, for PN, -0.22, -0.03, and 0.00; for PL, -0.21, -0.06, and 0.09; and 0.19, -0.29, and 0.30 for ER. Heritability for eggshell color and genetic correlation between eggshell color and other traits showed a different genetic pattern in ER breed. Significant additive genetic differences (P < 0.05) were found between ER and PN base populations for egg number (3.89), egg weight (0.91), and eggshell color (-3.50); and between ER and PL for egg number (6.69) and eggshell color (35.39). The PN and PL breeds differed significantly (P < 0.05) for eggshell color (38.22), which was darker in PN. These results could be taken as the expected genetic differences for these breeds.