Effects of genetic group, age, and dietary protein level on composition of eggs within the commercial size categories were studied in two Leghorn control strains formed in 1950 and 1958, two corresponding strains selected for high egg production and related traits, their reciprocal crosses, and a commercial Leghorn stock.Mean hen-housed egg production to 385 days was 154, 184, 197, and 191 eggs, and 385-day egg weight was 59.4, 63.1, 64.4, and 62.0 g for the control strains, selected strains, strain crosses, and commercial stock, respectively. In the eggs graded as large, wet and dry yolk weights, percent of yolk, and dry yolk/albumen ratio increased while wet albumen weight and percent of albumen decreased as dietary protein level increased from 15 to 19%. No such effects were observed in the medium or extra large eggs.Within each egg size category, wet and dry yolk weight and percent of yolk increased and wet and dry albumen weight, percent of albumen, albumen percent solids, and shell weight decreased with age. These trends were reversed by forced molting between the sixty-fourth and seventy-first weeks of age but they resumed afterwards.There was no heterosis for any egg composition trait and no genetic group effects on yolk percent solids. Within the same commercial size category, eggs of the control strains had lower albumen percent solids than those of selected strains or the commercial stock and contained more yolk and less albumen and shell. These differences reflect changes in the composition of the eggs from hens that have been under selection for increased production since the control strains were formed. (
1. Growth patterns of male ducks from 4 lines (lines A, B, C and D) selected for market weight were analysed and compared to growth patterns of ducks in the respective line 7 generations earlier. Growth curves were analysed using procedures derived from the Weibull sigmoidal function and the linear-linear relative growth rate model and simple allometry. 2. The ducks were fed ad libitum under 24-h lighting throughout the experiment. At weekly intervals from the time of hatch through 70 d of age, 16 ducks from each line were killed to determine body, carcase, breast-muscle, leg and thigh-muscle, and abdominal fat weights. 3. Line A was the heaviest line, followed by line B, line C and line D. However, body weight, carcase weight and breast-muscle weight at 49 d of age were not significantly different between lines A and B. After 7 generations of selection, the breast-muscle yield was increased to >19% and the abdominal fat percent was reduced to <1.4% in all lines. 4. The Weibull growth curve analysis of body weight showed an increase in the asymptotes during selection, while the age of the inflection point remained constant in all lines (21.3 to 26.0 d). For breast-muscle growth, ducks reached the inflection point 12.8 to 14.3 d later than for body weight. Between line A and line B, asymptotes for body weight, asymptotes for breast-muscle weight and allometric growth coefficients of breast muscle and leg and thigh muscles from 14 to 49 d were not significantly different. 5. The relative growth rate model discriminated body and breast-muscle growth patterns of line A and line B. The initial decline in the relative body growth rate was less and the time to reach the transition was longer in line A than line B. On the other hand, the initial decline in the relative breast-muscle growth rate was greater in line A than line B.
1. Growth patterns of the whole body, eviscerated carcases, breast muscle, leg and thigh muscles and abdominal fat pads were compared in 4 lines (Lines A, B, C, and D) of male ducks selected for market weight (n = 1305) using growth curve analysis, allometric growth analysis and repeated measure analysis. At 49 d of age, Line A was heaviest, followed by Line B, Line C and Line D. 2. Ducks were fed ad libitum under 24-h lighting and 12 or 24 ducks were killed to determine body, carcase, breast-muscle, leg and thigh-muscle, and abdominal fat weights at time points from hatching until 53 d of age. 3. The Weibull function was chosen for growth curve analysis. The asymptote and inflection point from the Weibull growth curves identified 3 lines (Lines B, C, and D) with discrete body and carcase growth patterns but did not distinguish Line A from Line B. In all 4 lines the asymptote ranged from 4437 g to 3008 g for body weight and from 3334 g to 2098 g for carcase weight; the inflection point ranged from 22.5 d to 25.3 d for body weight and from 25.4 d to 29.6 d for carcase weight. 4. The allometric growth coefficient, relative to whole-body growth, was higher than 1.00 for breast muscle and lower than 1.00 for leg and thigh muscles during from 4 d to 53 d of age. 5. Body fat accumulation was estimated by abdominal fat. Line D accumulated more abdominal fat than other lines. The pattern of fat accumulation in Line D was different from Lines A, B and C and there were no differences between Lines A, B and C.
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