Abstract:
In order to study the genetic law of egg quality of Peking ducks, six hundred healthy Peking ducks were reared from 1 day to 70 weeks of age, and the daily egg production per duck was recorded from 23 to 70 weeks of age, and weekly egg production per duck was counted(recorded as total weekly egg production) and weekly laying rate were calculated. Eggs were collected continuously for 5 d starting at 30 weeks of age to determine egg weight, egg shape index, eggshell strength, protein height, haugh unit, egg yolk color, egg yolk weight, egg yolk ratio, egg shell weight and eggshell ratio. The ASReml-R software was used to calculate egg quality phenotypic correlation, genetic correlation and heritability using a multi-trait animal model. The results showed that the weekly laying rate of Peking ducks reached the peak of egg production at 30 weeks of age, maintaining above 90% at 30-40 weeks of age, and above 80% at 30-40 weeks of age. At the age of 30 weeks, the egg weight of Beijing ducks was 81.47 g, which showed great variability; egg shape index was 1.38; eggshell strength was 46.19 N; haugh unit was 82.91, and egg yolk color was 2.26. The heritability of egg weight, eggshell strength and eggshell weight were 0.43, 0.42 and 0.46, respectively, which were high heritability traits. The heritability of egg yolk weight, egg shape index, egg yolk color, protein height, haugh unit, and total weekly egg production were all below 0.30, belonging to middle and low heritability traits. Egg weight was significantly positively correlated with egg yolk weight, protein height and eggshell weight(P<0.01), and significantly positively correlated with egg yolk color(P<0.05). Eggshell weight was significantly positively correlated with eggshell strength and egg yolk weight(P<0.01); haugh unit was significantly positively correlated with protein height(P<0.01), and total weekly egg production had no significant correlation with egg quality traits(P>0.05). Egg weight was negatively correlated with eggshell strength and positively correlated with other traits. The results indicated that Peking ducks began to enter the peak of egg production at 30 weeks of age, and the egg quality was AA grade. Egg weight was positively correlated with egg quality.