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Associations Between Egg Production and Clutch Length in Four Selected Lines of Chickens

Animal and Poultry Sciences Department (0306), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

Correspondence: P. B. Siegel, E-mail: jacksons{at}vt.edu

The use of partial records to measure egg production of pedigree breeders has numerous advantages including reduced labor and generation interval. Maintaining egg production in an era where emphasis in breeding programs involves yield and feed conversion presents a challenge to primary breeders. Because breeders obtain individual egg production records, interest in the possibility of using the association of various measures of clutch length with intensity of egg production has been renewed. The correlation of maximum clutch length (prime sequence) throughout lay and during the first 10, 15, and 30 d of lay with percentage hen-day ovulations and normal eggs in four lines (two White Leghorn and two White Plymouth Rock) of chickens during each of 2 yr was measured. Although the rankings of the lines were generally consistent both years for all traits measured, correlations among the sequence lengths with percentage henday ovulations and normal eggs were line specific. Thus, poultry breeders would have to determine which of these measures is most appropriate for inclusion with other measures of egg production for each of their specific lines.

Key Words: clutch length • egg production • genetic line