Genetic parameters and genomic prediction of egg production traits in ducks.

ABSTRACT: Egg production traits are critical in duck breeding. Although genomic selection (GS) has been widely applied in livestock breeding, limited research has focused on predicting duck egg production traits, particularly across different physiological stages. In this study, we systematically explored the genetic parameters of egg production traits and evaluated the performance of GS in a commercial Pekin duck population. Analysis of 8,455 laying ducks showed that the heritability of cumulative egg production at 210, 280, and 300 days was 0.35, 0.37, and 0.48, respectively. Heritability during the early, peak, and post stages of cumulative egg production was 0.32, 0.15, and 0.24. The heritability of the egg laying rate from 25 to 60 weeks was 0.25. The cumulative egg production traits exhibited

SUBMITTER: Han C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12304767 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature