COMBINING ABILITY EFFECTS FOR IMPORTANT BROILER TRAITS OF JAPANESE QUAIL (COTURNIX COTURNIX JAPONICA)

Combining ability effects for some broiler traits of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were studied under warm-humid conditions of West Bengal, India. The data were collected on pure and cross line quails from a 3 x 3 complete diallel cross experiment for body weight of individual quail chicks from day old to 8(th) week of age at fortnight interval and conformation traits viz., breast angle, keel length and shank length at 6(th) and 8(th) weeks of age to estimate GCA, SCA and reciprocal effects. GCA, SCA and reciprocal effects were significant for most of the traits studied. The estimates of combining ability effects and heterosis effect of different genetic groups suggested that the ML (meat line) x SL (synthetic line) cross is suited best as broiler quail chick.