Purpose. To investigate the extent to which shared genetic variants control (1) multiple ocular component dimensions and (2) both normal eye length and susceptibility to visually induced myopic eye growth. Methods. Two laboratory-reared populations of chicks were examined. The first was a three-generation pedigree of White Leghorn (WL) birds used in a selective breeding experiment testing susceptibility to monocular deprivation of sharp vision (DSV). The chicks were assessed before (age, 4 days) and after 4 days of treatment with diffusers. The second was the 10th generation of an advanced intercross line (AIL) derived from a broiler-layer cross (age, 3 weeks). Variance components analysis was used to estimate heritability and to assess the evidence for shared genetic determination. Results. All measured ocular components were moderately or highly heritable (range, 0.36-0.61; all P