Estimation of breed effects and non-additive genetic variation for ostrich slaughter and skin traits.

The study quantified breed effects and putative non-additive genetic variation for quantitative and qualitative slaughter and skin traits involving three ostrich breeds: South African Black (SAB), Zimbabwean Blue (ZB), and Kenyan Red (KR) ostriches. Such data from contemporary slaughter groups with all three pure breeds represented were analyzed together (SAB: n = 457; ZB: n = 74; KR: n = 50). Two 2 × 2 diallel crossbreeding designs were used to assess crosses of ZB and KR birds with the SAB strain.