Table 2 Results obtained on G2 mule duck traits. Statistical significance of the effects of grand-maternal (GM) diet, year, sex and year by sex interaction on G2 mule duck traits (paternal grand-sire effect is not given), and least square means (± SE) of GM diet^a

Growth traits

 Body weight, 4 weeks

133

***

ns

***

-

1326 ± 10^d

1397 ± 11^c

 Body weight, 8 weeks

134

***

***

***

-

2814 ± 19^d

2913 ± 21^c

 Body weight, 12 weeks

133

*

***

Ns

-

3390 ± 23^d

3458 ± 25^c

 Weight gain, 4–8weeks

133

ns

***

ns

-

 Weight gain, 8–12weeks

133

ns

ns

***

-

577 ± 19

545 ± 21

 Weight gain, 4–12weeks

132

ns

***

***

-

Force-feeding (FF) traits

 Weight gain during FF

130

**

ns

***

-

1609 ± 23^c

1502 ± 25^d

 Body weight, 14 weeks (end FF)

131

ns

**

***

-

5016 ± 30

4960 ± 33

 Feed consumption during FF

131

ns

***

***

-

14071 ± 48

14026 ± 53

 Ratio FC/WG during FF

129

***

ns

***

-

8.78 ± 0.15^c

9.58 ± 0.17^d

Carcass traits

 Carcass weight (CW)

129

ns

*

***

-

 Magret^b weight

131

ns

ns

*

-

367.1 ± 3.4

364.5 ± 3.7

 Ratio (magret/carcass)

128

ns

*

ns

-

 Magret muscle weight

131

ns

ns

ns

-

 Ratio (fat + skin/magret)

131

ns

ns

ns

-

 Abdominal fat weight (AF)

131

*

ns

**

-

156.7 ± 2.7^c

146.5 ± 2.9^d

 Ratio AF/CW %

128

*

ns

ns

-

3.45 ± 0.05^c

3.27 ± 0.06^d

 Liver weight (LW)

131

ns

ns

ns

***

 Ratio (LW/CW)

128

ns

ns

**

**

12.1 ± 0.3

11.9 ± 0.3

 Liver melting rate

131

ns

***

***

**

Blood metabolites

 Glucose mid-FF (g/L)

129

ns

ns

**

-

 Glucose end-FF (g/L)

105

+

ns

***

-

3.27 ± 0.19

2.83 ± 0.20

 Triglycerides mid-FF (g/L)

129

ns

***

ns

-

 Triglycerides end-FF (g/L)

105

*

ns

ns

-

0.85 ± 0.06^c

0.64 ± 0.07^d