Combining ability of parental broiler lines using factor analysis of productions traits

This study was carried out to study the combining ability of parental broiler lines using factor analysis of production traits. The single crosses (partial diallel) among the male lines of group 1 (LL, TL, ZL, TT, LT, ZT, ZZ, LZ, and TL) and female lines of group 2 (PP, KP, VP, KK, PK, VK, VV, PV, and KV). A completely randomized blocks design, with three blocks, 81 single crosses and nine females per cross was used. The production traits, were fertility at 32(nd), 38(th), 42(nd) and 49(th) weeks of age, hatchability at 32(nd), the initial body weights of the chicks, body weight and feed:gain ratio at 42(nd) days of age, and carcass yield, breast yield and fat pad yield at 42(nd) day of age of the broiler. Four factors, whose biological meanings were defined after rotation of the factor, were used. The lines that stood out in the factor analysis, for factor 2 (body weight factor at 42(nd) day) were LT and LZ, in group 1, and VP, KP, KK, KV, PK and VV, in group 2.