Estimates of genetic parameters for three prime cut up parts in broilers

Pedigreed population of four hundred 7-week old broilers from 20 sires and 160 dams of a growth selected population of PB-I were used to study the heritability estimates of body weight and cut-up parts and also the genetic correlations among the three premium parts i.e. breast, thighs and drumsticks. The heritability estimates for the cut-up parts ranged between 0.19 to 0.60 in males and 0.13 to 0.53 in females and highest values were observed for breast weight in both sexes. The genetic correlations between body weights and carcass traits ranged between 0.46 and 0.79 in both the sexes. The three premium cuts exhibited highest genetic correlations with eviscerated weight. Body weight and percent eviscerated weight had positive genetic con'elations with percent breast (0.17 to 0.40) and thighs (0.11 to 0.31) but negative with percent drumsticks (−0.20 to 0.27). The three premium cut-up parts were positively correlated with each other both for absolute weights (0.35 to 0.68) and the percent to eviscerated weights (0.18 to 0.32) at the genetic level. The giblets also had positive genetic correlations with these three parts.