Reduced-rank estimation of genetic parameters for egg production traits and cluster analyses with predicted breeding values

Abstract

The aims of this study were to compare the suitability of the multi-trait (MUT) model to estimate genetic parameters with that of 13 reduced-rank principal component models (PC1 to PC13), and then to explore the additive genetic patterns of the breeding values obtained from these using clustering analyses of egg production traits. A total of 1,212 records were used to estimate genetic parameters using the MUT and PC models. The PC4 model was the best representation of the data since it had a lower AIC value and was more parsimonious than the MUT model. The estimated heritability of the age at the first egg (AFE) trait from this model was 0.28 +/- 0.06, and the estimated genetic correlation between AFE and total egg production (TP) was -0.52 +/- 0.23. Potentially animals from cluster 2 are more likely to be in the selected group to help improve the egg production.