Research Into Sex Linked Control of Bodyweight in Poultry and Rabbits

Sixteen weeks bodyweight from one progeny group of rabbits, and six weeks bodyweight from progeny groups of three breeding flocks of poultry were analysed. Variance components and two sets of heritability estimates were calculated for each sex in each group. In both species, the estimated variance components strongly suggested that sex-linkage was operating in bodyweight inheritance. Progeny from a broiler breeding expperiment provided further evidence for sex-linked control of bodyweight in poultry. In two reports in the literature of work with turkeys, it was possible to explain results in terms of sex-linked control of body-weight. Three reasons are suggested why so many reports ignore sex-linkage in bodyweight inheritance. It was concluded that sex-linkage was important in the inheri-tance of bodyweight (or growth rate), in rabbits, poultry, and probably turkeys. It appears reasonable to expect sex-linkage to affect bodyweight inheritance in other species as well. I