Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of climatic traits on body size traits and reproductive performance in Chinese native Black-bone chicken breeds using canonical correlation analysis. In this study, canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was applied to estimate the relationship between local climatic traits and body size traits (9 traits), climatic traits (4 traits) and reproductive performance (5 traits) 17 Chinese native Black-bone chicken breeds. The result of climatic traits and body size traits was that the first canonical correlation coefficient was 0.992(P<0.01), which accumulative pct represented 83.368% for the total correlation information. The second canonical correlation coefficient was 0.953(P<0.01), the value of pct was 12.566%, It showed that the correlation between the two sets of traits mainly by annual sunshine hours, frost-free and chest width closely related to the cause, the longer annual sunshine hours, the longer frost-free season, the greater chest width of Black-bone chicken. The result of climatic traits and reproductive performance was that the first canonical correlation coefficient was 0.867(P<0.01), the value of pct was 60.797%. The second canonical correlation coefficient was 0.754(P<0.01), the value of pct was 26.496%, The results from CCA indicated that the longer annual sunshine duration, the longer frost-free season, the wider of chest breadth, the later average of age at first egg. The research provides reference basis for genetic breeding and reproduction on Black-bone chicken.

Key words: climate traits; Chinese native Black-bone chicken breeds; body size traits; reproductive traits; canonical correlation analysis