Eleven generations of selection for the duration of fertility in the intergeneric crossbreeding of ducks

Abstract

A 12-generation selection experiment involving a selected line (S) and a control line (C) has been conducted since 1992 with the aim of increasing the number of fertile eggs laid by the Brown Tsaiya duck after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen. On average, 28.9% of the females and 17.05% of the males were selected. The selection responses and the predicted responses showed similar trends. The average predicted genetic responses per generation in genetic standard deviation units were 0.40 for the number of fertile eggs, 0.45 for the maximum duration of fertility, and 0.32 for the number of hatched mule ducklings' traits. The fertility rates for days 2–8 after AI were 89.14% in the S line and 61.46% in the C line. Embryo viability was not impaired by this selection. The largest increase in fertility rate per day after a single AI was observed from d5 to d11. In G12, the fertility rate in the selected line was 91% at d2, 94% at d3, 92% at days 3 and 4 then decreased to 81% at d8, 75% at d9, 58% at d10 and 42% at d11. In contrast, the fertility rate in the control line showed an abrupt decrease from d4 (74%). The same tendencies were observed for the evolution of hatchability according to the egg set rates. It was concluded that selection for the number of fertile eggs after a single AI with pooled Muscovy semen could effectively increase the duration of the fertile period in ducks and that research should now be focused on ways to improve the viability of the hybrid mule duck embryo.

Detrimental effects of excessive fatty acid secretion on female sperm storage in chickens

“…Given that most studies have suggested that genetics has moderate effects on FSS, we estimated the h 2 of FE and FDD. The h 2 for the two traits were moderate, and higher genetic correlations of these traits between the two experimental periods were obtained, and these results were comparable to those obtained in previous reports [10,54,56]. The results indicated that the criteria we used to assess the characteristics of FSS were applicable and suitable.…”

“…The usual criteria for evaluating that a species stores sperm range from simply finding sperm within a female RT to more thorough determinations of both the female physiology and the sperm viability [3]. Assessing the capacity of FSS by a series of fertile eggs has been broadly applied in avians [10,11,[53][54][55]. This idea will also be valuable to other oviparous animals, such as mosquitoes [46].…”

A novel non-synonymous SNP of the COLX gene and its association with duck reproductive traits

“…During the laying period, the ducks were fed a diet with 20% CP and 2810 kcal/kg ME. Drinking water and feed were provided ad libitum throughout the experimental period [26]. After 9 generations of selection, the SL had nearly twice the fertility performances of the CL.…”

Selection for Duration of Fertility and Mule Duck White Plumage Colour in a Synthetic Strain of Ducks (<i>Anas platyrhynchos</i>)

“…Mule duck meat production is developing in Europe, Vietnam and South East China ( Cheng et al, 2009 ). The mule ducks are sterile intergeneric hybrids which are produced by crossing Pekin or Kaiya (crossbred Pekin×White Tsaiya) female ducks with Muscovy drakes ( Cairina moschata ).…”