Line and crossing effects in a diallel mating system with highly inbred lines of White Leghorn chickens

Seven highly inbred lines of White Leghorn chickens were used in a near complete diallel mating plan during eight years. The lines originated from three different base populations selected for egg weight. Average inbreeding coefficients of parents of chicks hatching in successive years were 0.75, 0.80, 0.84, 0.86, 0.89, 0.91, 0.93 and 0.94. The composition of line, specific combining ability and reciprocal effects and their estimated values are given. These effects were estimated for age at first egg (AFE), average weight of all eggs laid to 40 weeks (EW40), body weight at 40 weeks (BW40), number of eggs to 40 weeks (EP40) and number of eggs between 41 and 60 weeks (EP60). Records of 3247 hens surviving to 40 weeks and of 3133 birds to 60 weeks could be used. Large differences between line effects could be found in all traits. They were only partly due to the preceding selection in the base populations. All specific combining effects were in the expected direction, negative for AFE and positive for EW40, BW40, EP40 and EP60. Recovery of inbreeding depression inflated these effects rather substancially. Average heterosis, defined as the relative superiority of a line combination over the mid parent value, was -11.3%, 5.8%, 7.8%, 45.1% and 35.8% for AFE, EW40, BW40, EP40 and EP60 respectively. One line showed a relative superiority in AFE of -19.3% compared to about -7.9% for all other combinations. Reciprocal or sex-linked effects were generally smaller in all traits than specific combining effects, they were considerably smaller in AFE, EP40 and EP60. General reciprocal effects could be found for several lines in one or more traits. Offspring of two lines, when used as sire lines, showed a negative correlation between reciprocal effects of egg weight and body weight.