Curvilinear inbreeding effects on some performance traits in laying hens.

Quadratic partial regression coefficients were estimated for the inbreeding level on five performance traits (body weight, average egg weight, age at first egg, percentage of fertilized eggs, and hatchability of set eggs) of two strains of laying hens. Data on 5631 of H77 layers and 3563 of N88 layers from nine consecutive generations were analysed. Only dams were accounted for. Partial regression coefficients were estimated by REML with a single-trait animal model, which included fixed effects (generation and hatching period) and random effects (additive genetic and error effects). The mean inbreeding level was 0.87% in strain H77 and 1.08% in strain N88. The inbreeding effects were analysed based on the quadratic partial regression equations. A slight inbreeding depression was found for all the traits analysed in N88. In strain H77, negative effects of inbreeding were only noted for body weight and average egg weight. The small inbreeding effects shown here resulted from a relatively low level of homozygosity in the populations studied. The strains were found to differ in the effects of inbreeding. It is worth pointing out that differences were noted both between the inbreeding depression estimated from the partial linear regression equation and the quadratic partial regression equation, as well as different inbreeding levels.