Heritabilities, Sex Differences, and Phenotypic Correlations for Six Feathering Characteristics ,

PLUMART and Mueller (1954) showed that early feathering chicks were superior to late feathering ones in that they feathered more rapidly and possessed fewer pinfeathers during the first 12 weeks of life. Hurry and Nordskog (1953) obtained heritability estimates of .33 and .42, respectively, for feathering in 8 week New Hampshires and Barred Plymouth Rocks. In both breeds there were both early and late feathering chicks. The present study was designed to obtain estimates of heritabilities, measure sex-differences, and determine phenotypic correlations for 6 feathering traits in early feathering White Plymouth Rocks. METHODS AND MATERIALS Six feathering characteristics were studied. They were: the degree of juvenile feather development in the breast pterylae at 10 days, the amounts of feather development on the back at 10 days, 5 weeks, and 7 weeks, the number of pinfeathers in the sheath stage found in the back area at 10 weeks, and the amount . . .