Fast growing broiler production from genetically different pure lines in Turkey. 2. Broiler traits: growth, feed intake, feed efficiency, livability, body defects and some heterotic effects

Abstract

The aim of the this study was to reveal the trends in body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), livability, and body defects (foot pad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn (HB), and breast burn (BB)) in offspring of ANADOLU-T pure lines (PLs), their 12 four-way hybrids and ROSS-308 hybrid, and the observed heterosis values for some performance and body defect traits. A total of 2736 (1368 broilers each) broiler chickens from ANADOLU-T pure lines, their hybrids, and commercial ROSS-308 hybrid were hatched from breeder eggs at 32 and 52 weeks of age and reared for 42 days in 2 experiments. The PL eggs were generally heavier than hybrid eggs ( P < 0.001) and day-old BWs ( P < 0.001) were also higher in PL chicks (ranging between 44.5 and 45.8 g). The males of ROSS-308 hybrid were heavier than others at 42 d of age ( P = 0.035), and the lowest BW values were determined for A1, A2, and A3 line chickens ( P < 0.001). ROSS-308 (4453.8 g) showed similar 42-d FI with all of four-way ANADOLU-T hybrids except (B1 × B2) × (A1 × A2) and (B1 × B2) × (A3 × A1). The 42-d FCR was 1.473 for the ROSS-308, while it ranged between 1.654 and 1.715 for the four-way ANADOLU-T hybrids ( P < 0.001). The 42-d livability of four-way ANADOLU-T hybrids and ROSS-308 ranged between 92.0 and 100.0%. All ANADOLU-T hybrids, except two, showed higher 42-d livability than ROSS-308. While both genotype and sex were important for HB and BB, only the genotype effect was significant for FPD ( P < 0.001). All ANADOLU-T hybrids showed low to moderate and positive heterosis for BW after 28 d. From 14 to 42 d, the magnitudes of heterosis for FCR decreased. Heterosis for livability from 7 to 42 d were not significant between genotypes. Percentages of heterosis for resistance to FPD (− 1.56 to 1.44%), HB (− 37.03 to 18.75%), and BB (− 12.70 to 1.02%) defects were not significant among genotypes. It was concluded that mating of B1 × B2 males with A1 × A2 and A3 × A2 females seems more favorable in terms of higher chick and meat production. However, the fact that the overall performance of ANADOLU-T hybrids is lower than ROSS-308 clearly indicates that genetic selection must be maintained for enhanced body weight and feed efficiency.

Effect of Genotype and Holding Duration on Some Post-Hatch Traits of Day-Old Broiler Pure Line Chicks

“…This is because selection for growth rate after hatching is likely to have altered embryonic metabolism and heat production by affecting the developmental pattern of the embryo (óDea et al, 2004;Janke, 2004). A recent study showed that ROSS-308 chicks were superior to ANADOLU-T pure lines in terms of growth characteristics (Erensoy and Sarıca, 2023). This may partly explain the elevated body temperature associated with the relatively higher metabolic rate of ROSS-308 hybrids.…”

Genetic architecture and key regulatory genes of fatty acid composition in Gushi chicken breast muscle determined by GWAS and WGCNA

“…The two are more distantly related, with more significant variation between traits and higher heterozygosity in the F2 generation. Thus the two populations are designed for forward and backward F2 crosses, which is conducive to genetic localization studies [ 70 ]. China has abundant livestock and poultry breed resources, and it will be important to use these breeds to establish reference lines to supplement the deficiencies in genomic studies.…”

Effects of Partial Replacement of Soybean with Local Alternative Sources on Growth, Blood Parameters, Welfare, and Economic Indicators of Local and Commercial Broilers

“…Anadolu-T is a registered genotype for broiler production and is within the scope of the selection and breeding program in Türkiye. The pure lines of Anadolu-T and their crosses had lower body weights and impaired feed conversion ratios but a higher livability compared to commercial strains [28]. These chickens could be an alternative for niche markets and small local producers.…”