This study was carried out to study the combining ability of parental broiler lines using factor analysis of production traits. The single crosses (partial diallel) among the male lines of group 1 (LL, TL, ZL, TT, LT, ZT, ZZ, LZ, and TL) and female lines of group 2 (PP, KP, VP, KK, PK, VK, VV, PV, and KV). A completely randomized blocks design, with three blocks, 81 single crosses and nine females per cross was used. The production traits, were fertility at 32nd, 38th , 42nd and 49th weeks of age, hatchability at 32nd, the initial body weights of the chicks, body weight and feed:gain ratio at 42nd days of age, and carcass yield, breast yield and fat pad yield at 42nd day of age of the broiler. Four factors, whose biological meanings were defined after rotation of the factor, were used. The lines that stood out in the factor analysis, for factor 2 (body weight factor at 42nd day) were LT and LZ, in group 1, and VP, KP, KK, KV, PK and VV, in group 2.
factor analysis; combining ability; broiler parental lines
