Lubabalo Bila^1*, Thobela Louis Tyasi²

¹Potchefstroom College of Agriculture, Department of Animal Production, Private Bag X1292, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa

²School of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics and Animal Production, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727, Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

A principal component exploration is a valuable instrument in multivariate methodology and it is very useful when characteristics are related. The objective of the study was to explore the relationship amongst morphological traits and body weight (BW) of Ross 308 chicken breed. Morphological traits were recorded on one hundred Ross 308 chicken (male = 50, female = 50) at Broiler Production division of Potchefstroom College of Agriculture, South Africa.  The data was analysed using stepwise regression, Pearson’s correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Correlation findings in females ranged from -0.16 to 0.51 while ranged from -0.07 to 0.56 in males. PCA results extracted only three and two components in males and females chicken, respectively, which contributed remarkable 67.78% and 57.15% of variation. The specified principal components extracted contributed excellently to describe overall structuring. Regression results revealed that use of components was more appropriate than the use of correlated morphological traits in predicting BW. The SC might be used as a key morphological trait in the selection criteria to advance BW of male chickens while SL might be used as a key trait in the case of female Ross 308 chickens.

Keywords: Body weight, Morphological characterization, Principal component analysis