INTER-STRAIN VARIATION AND DISTRIBUTION STATISTICS FOR PHYSICAL EGG-QUALITY AND EGG-COMPONENT CHARACTERS IN CHICKEN

Selected strains (PL 1 and PL 2) and 1 control line (PL 3) of White Le ghorns were evaluated for several egg-quality traits at 70 weeks of ag e, Strains PL 2 with higher egg production, body weight and egg weight compared to PL 1, was characterized by better shell-quality but poore r albumen quality. The control line with lower egg production, body an d egg weight did not differ from PL 2 for egg quality traits. The port ion of yolk, albumen and shell were similar for the 3 lines. Small dep artures from the normality of distribution were observed for some of t he egg-quality traits.