Production Performances and Heterosis Effects of Korean Native Chicken Breed Combinations by Diallel Crossing Test

This study was conducted to establish new synthetic lines of Korean Native Chicken. We performed 5 x 5 diallel crossings with GPS lines of Korean Native Chicken for the selection of parent stock. The production traits including viability, body weight, age at first egg laying, egg weight, hen-day egg production, and hen-housed egg production were measured and analyzed for 25 crosses with 1,157 hens. The heterosis effects of these traits were also estimated. The results showed that the average survival rate during laying periods was 67.7% in the pure lines and 77.1% in the crosses. The 25 cross combinations were shown to be distinctly divided into three groups according to body weight; nine crosses in the high-weight group, 12 crosses in the medium-weight group and four crosses in the light-weight group. The average body weight at 12 weeks of age was 1,873.8±43.0 g in the high group, 1,595.4±56.6 g in the medium group and 1,152.7±24.7 g in the light group, and 1,560.2±339.3 g in the pure lines and 1,640.9±213.7 g in the crosses. In terms of egg production performance, the age at first egg laying was 139.7±4.9 days in the pure lines and 135.8±5.1 days in the crosses. The average egg weight was 52.3±1.6 g in the pure line and 53.0±1.6g in the crosses. The average hen-housed egg production from 20 to 40 weeks was 58.3±12.9 eggs in the pure line and 69.2±10.4 eggs in the crosses. The average heterosis effect was 16.9% for survival rate, 5.4% for body weight at 12 weeks, ±2.7% for age at first egg laying, 1.3% for egg weight, and 14.3% for hen-day egg production. Generally, the heterosis effect for viability and egg production traits was higher than that for growth trait. On the basis of these results, it is expected that the selection of the HF combination, which had excellent growth performance, is the most desirable as the paternal strain, and the selection of GW and FW combinations, which had excellent laying performance, are preferable as the maternal strain.