The Effect of Male Broiler Parent Live Weight Differences during the Growing Period on Progeny Broiler Performance

Abstract

With the increase in demand for broilers, breeds that provide rapid weight gain, efficient use of feed and high carcass yield have been selected for chicken meat production. The trial was carried out to determine the effect of broiler male parent’s body weights of growing period (six and eighteen weeks) on progeny broiler performance traits. Cockerels in the study were allocated into 5 groups as Light Standard (LS), Light Light (LL), Standard Standard (SS), Heavy Heavy (HH) and Heavy Standard (HS) according to the live weight at the 6th and 18th weeks. When these cocks were young (24 weeks of age), prime (35 weeks of age) and old (48 weeks of age), the broiler performance of the offspring obtained from them by artificial insemination was evaluated. In terms of sire body weights during the study, the HH group had the highest live weight. In terms of the 35th d body weights of broilers, HH group reached the highest average in all periods, while the LS group had the lowest average and LL, SS and HS were close to each other. The average European Production Efficiency Index (EPEI) values of LL, LS, SS, HS and HH groups were found to be 434, 423, 429, 422 and 460, in three broiler trials average, respectively. The heritability for the body weight trait was found as for the 7th d= 0.18, 14th d= 0.21, 21st d= 0.31, 28th d= 0.30 and 35th d= 0.37. In conclusion, it was determined that the highest broiler performance was observed in the offspring of HH cock (heavy at the 6th and 18th week). In addition, it was determined that changes in live weight of sires after the 6th week (efforts to bring them to standard weight) would negatively affect the broiler performance of the offspring. Considering the EPEI, in which feed conversion rate and liveability are also included in the formula in addition to live weight it is suggested that HH group sires should be preferred for heavier broiler and more economical meat production.

Keywords

• Parent stock
• body weight
• heritability
• broiler performance
• rearing period

References

1. Aviagen (2019a). Ross 308 / Ross 308 FF Broiler Performance Objectives. Aviagen.
2. Aviagen (2019b). Ross 708 Broiler Performance Objectives. Aviagen.
3. Araújo C S S, Hermes R G, Bittencourt L C, Silva C C, Araújo L F, Granghelli C A, Roque F A & Leite B G S (2019). Different dietary trace mineral sources for broiler breeders and their progenies. Poult. Sci. 98(10): 4716-4721
4. Arthur J A & Albers G A (2003). Industrial perspective on problems and issues associated with poultry breeding. Poultry genetics, breeding and biotechnology 1- 12. Book: CABI Publishing
5. Becker W A, Spencer J V, Mirosh A & Verstrate J A (1981). Abdominal and carcass fat in five broiler strains. Poult. Sci. 60:693-697
6. Beer M D (2009). Current approaches to feeding broiler breeders. Proc. World Poultry Science Association (WPSA), 17th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, Edinburgh, UK, 23-27 August, 2009
7. Bilcik B, Estevez I & Russek-cohen E (2005). Reproductive success of broiler breeders in natural mating systems: the effect of male-male competition, sperm quality, and morphological characteristics. Poult. Sci. 84:1453-1462
8. Brillard J (2001). Future strategies for broiler breeders: an international perspective. World's Poult. Sci. J. 57:243-250

9. Burke W & Mauldin J (1985). Reproductive characteristics of broiler breeder males from flocks with low fertility. Poult. Sci. 64 (Suppl 1), 73.
10. Cahaner A & Nitsan Z (1985). Evaluation of simultaneous selection for live body weight and against abdominal fat in broilers. Poult. Sci. 64:1257-1263
11. COBB (2018). Broiler Performance & Nutrition Supplement. Cobb Vantress Inc. Siloam Springs, AR. Decuypere E, Bruggeman V, Everaert N, Li Y, Boonen R, De Tavernier J, Janssens S & Buys N (2010). The Broiler Breeder Paradox: ethical, genetic and physiological perspectives, and suggestions for solutions. Brit. Poult. Sci. 51:569-579. doi 10.1080/00071668.2010.519121
12. Eitan Y & Soller M (2002). Associated effects of sixty years of commercial selection for juvenile growth rate in broiler chickens: Endo/exophysiological, or genetic?. Proc. 7th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Montpellier, France, August 19-23, 2002.
13. Emmerson D (1997). Commercial approaches to genetic selection for growth and feed conversion in domestic poultry. Poult. Sci., 76:1121- 1125. doi 10.1093/ps/76.8.1121
14. Emmerson D (2003). Breeding objectives and selection strategies for broiler production. Poultry Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology:133- 136. Book: CABI Publishing
15. Gaya L G, Ferraz J B S, Rezende F M, Mourão G B, Mattos E C, Eler J P & Michelan F T (2006). Heritability and Genetic Correlation Estimates for Performance and Carcass and Body Composition Traits in a Male Broiler Line. Poult. Sci., 85:837-843. doi 10.1093/ps/85.5.837
16. Griffiths L, Leeson S & Summers J (1978). Studies on abdominal fat with four commercial strains of male broiler chicken. Poult. Sci. 57:1198- 1203
17. Havenstein G, Ferket P & Qureshi M (2003a). Carcass composition and yield of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets. Poult. Sci., 82:1509-1518. doi 10.1093/ps/82.10.1509
18. Havenstein G, Ferket P & Qureshi M (2003b). Growth, livability, and feed conversion of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets. Poult. Sci. 82:1500-1508. doi 10.1093/ps/82.10.1500
19. Hocking P & Duff S (1989). Musculo‐Skeletal lesions in adult male broiler breeder fowls and their relationships with body weight and fertility at 60 weeks of age. Brit. Poult. Sci. 30:777-784
20. Ingram D R, Biron T R, Wilson H R & Mather F B (1987). Lighting of End of Lay Broiler Breeders: Fluorescent Versus Incandescent. Poult. Sci., 66:215-217. doi 10.3382/ps.0660215
21. International Chicken Genome Sequencing Consortium (2004). Sequence and comparative analysis of the chicken genome provide unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution. Nature 432(7018): 695-716
22. Jones M & Mench J (1991). Behavioral correlates of male mating success in a multisire flock as determined by DNA fingerprinting. Poult. Sci. 70:1493-1498
23. Koerhuis A & Thompson R (1997). Models to estimate maternal effects for juvenile body weight in broiler chickens. Genetics Selection Evolution 29:225
24. Leenstra F (1986). Effect of age, sex, genotype and environment on fat deposition in broiler chickens—a review. World's Poult. Sci. J. 42:12- 25
25. Leenstra F & Pit R (1988). Fat deposition in a broiler sire strain. 3. Heritability of and genetic correlations among body weight, abdominal fat,and feed conversion. Poult. Sci., 67:1-9
26. Leeson S & Summers J D (2010). Broiler breeder production. Book: Nottingham University Press. Lin C (1981). Relationship between increased body weight and fat deposition in broilers. World's Poult. Sci. J. 37:106-110
27. Mebratie W, Reyer H, Wimmers K, Bovenhuis H & Jensen J (2019). Genome wide association study of body weight and feed efficiency traits in a commercial broiler chicken population, a re-visitation. Sci. Repo. 9(1): 922
28. Mignon-Grasteau S (1999). Genetic parameters of growth curve parameters in male and female chickens. Brit. Poult. Sci. 40:44-51
29. Moraes T G V, Pishnamazi A, Wenger I I, Renema R A & Zuidhof M J (2019). Energy and protein dilution in broiler breeder pullet diets reduced offspring body weight and yield. Poult. Sci. 98(6): 2555-2561
30. Nyalala I, Okinda C, Kunjie C, Korohou T, Nyalala L & Chao Q (2021). Weight and volume estimation of poultry and products based on computer vision systems: a review. Poult. Sci., 100.5: 101072.
31. Ottinger M A (1983). Hormonal Control of Reproductive Behavior in the Avian Male1. Poult. Sci. 62:1690-1699. doi 10.3382/ps.0621690
32. Ottinger M A (1989). Sexual Differentiation of Neuroendocrine Systems and Behavior1,2. Poult. Sci. 68:979-989. doi 10.3382/ps.0680979
33. Özlü S, Shiranjang R, Elibol O & Brake J (2018). Effect of hatching time on yolk sac percentage and broiler live performance. Braz. J. Poult. Sci. 20: 231-236
34. Pollock D (1999). A geneticist's perspective from within a broiler primary breeder company. Poult. Sci. 78:414-418. doi 10.1093/ps/78.3.414
35. Salas C, Ekmay R D, England J, Cerrate S & Coon C N (2019). Effect of body weight and energy intake on body composition analysis of broiler breeder hens. Poult. Sci. 98(2): 796-802
36. Sarıca M, Türkoğlu M & Yamak U S (2018). Developments in Poultry Breeding and Türkiye Poultry Breeding. Book: Poultry Science (Raising, Feeding, Diseases) (In Turkish), pp. 1-39
37. Sarıca M, Erensoy K, Oğuzhan E, Yeter B & Camci Ö (2021). Effects of Male Selection for Body Weight on Performance of Offsprings in Broiler Pure-Lines. Braz. J. Poult. Sci., 23.
38. SAS I (2015). Base SAS 9.4 procedures guide: SAS Institute. Shaheen M S, Mehmood S, Mahmud A & Riaz A (2020). Effects of different mating strategies in broiler breeder during peak and postpeak phase on subsequent broiler performance. Poult. Sci. 99(7): 3501-3510
39. Sexton T J (1983). Maximizing the Utilization of the Male Breeder: A Review. Poult. Sci., 62:1700-1710. doi 10.3382/ps.0621700
40. SPSS I (2011). "IBM SPSS statistics for Windows, version 20.0." New York: IBM Corp 440.
41. Sweeney K M, Aranibar C D, Kim W K, Williams S M, Avila L P, Starkey J D & Wilson J L (2022). Impact of every-day versus skip-a-day feeding of broiler breeder pullets during rearing on body weight uniformity and reproductive performance. Poult. Sci. 101(8): 101959
42. Tahir M, Cervantes H, Farmer C W, Shim M Y & Pesti G M (2011). Broiler performance, hatching egg, and age relationships of progeny from standard and dwarf broiler dams. Poult. Sci., 90:1364-1370. doi 10.3382/ps.2010-01165
43. Thiruvenkadan A K, Prabakaran R & Panneerselvam S (2011). Broiler breeding strategies over the decades: an overview. World's Poult. Sci. J. 67(2): 309-336
44. Türkoğlu M & Sarıca M (2018a). Breeder Chicken Rearing. Book: Poultry Science (Raising, Feeding, Diseases) (In Turkish), pp. 344-353
45. Türkoğlu M & Sarıca M (2018b). Chicken Genetics and Breeding.Book: Poultry Science (Raising, Feeding, Diseases) (In Turkish), pp. 354- 404
46. Uçar A, Özlü S & Türkoğlu M (2017). Developments in broiler performance characteristic. 8th Balkan Animal Science Conference, Balnimalcon, 6-8 September, Prizren, Kosova. 31 pp
47. Van Emous R (2015). Body composition and reproduction in broiler breeders: impact of feeding strategies. PhD thesis, Wageningen University and Research.
48. Van Wambeke F, Moermans R & De Groote G (1979). Early body‐weight selection of broiler breeder males in relation to reproductive and growth performance of their offspring. Brit. Poult. Sci. 20:565-570
49. Van Wambeke F, Moermans R & De Groote G (1981). A comparison of the reproductive and growth performances of offspring from broiler breeder males selected for early growth rate using artificial insemination and unselected males kept on deep litter. Reproduction Nutrition Développement 21:1059-106