Research note: Genetic parameters estimation of egg quality traits in Beijing-You chickens

Xinying Xu; Yuze Yang; Xiaoke Zhang; Dexin Wang; Qin Li; Zhuo Chang; Aixin Ni; Ziyan Huang; Jingwei Yuan; Yanyan Sun; Yunlei Li; Adamu Mani Isa; Jilan Chen

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2025.105294

Poultry Science (Aug 2025)

Research note: Genetic parameters estimation of egg quality traits in Beijing-You chickens

Xinying Xu,
Yuze Yang,
Xiaoke Zhang,
Dexin Wang,
Qin Li,
Zhuo Chang,
Aixin Ni,
Ziyan Huang,
Jingwei Yuan,
Yanyan Sun,
Yunlei Li,
Adamu Mani Isa,
Jilan Chen

Affiliations

Xinying Xu: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Yuze Yang: Beijing General Station of Animal Husbandry, Beijing 100107, China
Xiaoke Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Dexin Wang: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Qin Li: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Zhuo Chang: Beijing General Station of Animal Husbandry, Beijing 100107, China
Aixin Ni: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Ziyan Huang: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Jingwei Yuan: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Yanyan Sun: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Yunlei Li: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Adamu Mani Isa: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Jilan Chen: State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Corresponding author.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105294
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 104, no. 8
p. 105294

Abstract

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The Beijing-You chicken, a dual-purpose breed with a long-standing history and robust adaptability, is the only indigenous chicken breed in Beijing, China. Evaluating its egg quality traits is critical for conserving genetic resources and guiding breeding programs. Phenotypic data from two generations of Beijing-You chickens were collected, including 15 traits: egg weight (EWT), eggshell strength (ESS), albumen height (AH), yolk color (YC), yolk weight (YW), eggshell weight (ESW), eggshell-to-egg weight ratio (ESWR), albumen weight (AW), egg shape index (ESI), Haugh unit (HU), albumen-to-egg weight ratio (AWR), yolk-to-albumen weight ratio (YAWR), yolk-to-egg weight ratio (YWR), eggshell translucency (EST), and eggshell freckles (ESF). Variance components, genetic correlations, and phenotypic correlations were analyzed using the Asreml R toolkit (v 4.2.0.332) with the average information (AI) algorithm. Results revealed heritability estimates ranging from 0.02 (EST) to 0.61 (AW), with most traits showing moderate to high heritability. Notably, the value of YWR (30.44 %) and ESS (4.18 kg/cm2) outperformed those reported for high-yielding chicken breeds. High genetic correlations included a high positive correlation between EWT and ESW (rG = 0.568) and strong negative correlations between EWT and ESS (rG = -0.541) and between EWT and ESWR (rG = -0.535). ESS and ESWR exhibited a high positive genetic correlation (rG = 0.844), while YC and AH showed a significant negative correlation (rG = -0.662). This study presents the first comprehensive characterization of genetic parameters underlying egg quality traits in Beijing-You chickens, especially for the facts of higher yolk-to-egg weight ratios and a negative genetic correlation between eggshell strength and egg weight, providing essential genetic insights for precision breeding strategies in native poultry populations.

Published in Poultry Science

ISSN: 0032-5791 (Print); 1525-3171 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/poultry-science

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