Genetic parameters of egg quality traits in Guinea fowl.

The present study was undertaken to study the relationship among various egg quality traits on 462 eggs of 38-weeks old of guinea fowl produced from 23 sires and 120 dams. The traits studied were egg weight, shape index, yolk weight, yolk index, albumen weight, albumen index, shell thickness, shell weight, Hough unit score. Egg weight showed positive phenotypic and genotypic correlations with all the traits studied except with shape index and yolk index at phenotypic level. The shape index was negatively correlated at phenotypic level with egg weight and yolk weight. Albumin weight and albumin volume, shell weight and shell thickness; albumin index and haugh unit were had positive association among them. The heritability estimates varied from low (shape index, yolk index, albumen index, shell thickness, shell weight and albumin volume) to high magnitude (egg weight, albumin weight). Relatively high magnitude for egg weight and albumin weight showed that these traits could be improved by selection. Moderate magnitude of heritability estimates was exists for yolk weight, and Haugh unit score, indicated existence of some additive genetic variance in the flock for further improvement in the next generation.