Selection for high eight-week body weight in normal and dwarf chickens under high-protein and high-energy diets. 1995

H L Marks
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2772, USA.

A study was conducted to examine genetic parameters associated with selection for high 8-wk BW in normal and dwarf Athens Canadian randombreds under two nutritional environments (high protein and high energy) and to determine the influence of the selection diet on subsequent water to feed ratios and abdominal fat levels. High-protein lines (HP) received a diet containing 25% CP and 3,100 kcal ME/kg, whereas high-energy lines (HE) received a 22% CP diet containing 3,200 kcal ME/kg. Body weights, selection gains, selection differentials, and heritabilities were similar for normal HP and HE lines. There was evidence, however, that the realized heritability was greater in the HE than the HP dwarf line. Similar selection differentials indicate that this difference was apparently due to the expression of greater genetic variation in the HE dwarf line. Water intake, feed intake, water to feed ratio, and abdominal fat data for the four lines under "selection" and "reciprocal" environments differed between experiments. In Experiment 1, when fed the HE diet, normal birds selected under the HP environment had higher (P < .05) water to feed ratios and lower abdominal fat levels than contemporaries selected under the HE diet. However, these differences were not significant in Experiment 2.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D001835 Body Weight The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms. Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D002149 Energy Intake Total number of calories taken in daily whether ingested or by parenteral routes. Caloric Intake,Calorie Intake,Intake, Calorie,Intake, Energy
D002645 Chickens Common name for the species Gallus gallus, the domestic fowl, in the family Phasianidae, order GALLIFORMES. It is descended from the red jungle fowl of SOUTHEAST ASIA. Gallus gallus,Gallus domesticus,Gallus gallus domesticus,Chicken
D004044 Dietary Proteins Proteins obtained from foods. They are the main source of the ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS. Proteins, Dietary,Dietary Protein,Protein, Dietary
D004326 Drinking The consumption of liquids. Water Consumption,Water Intake,Drinkings
D004392 Dwarfism A genetic or pathological condition that is characterized by short stature and undersize. Abnormal skeletal growth usually results in an adult who is significantly below the average height. Nanism
D004435 Eating The consumption of edible substances. Dietary Intake,Feed Intake,Food Intake,Macronutrient Intake,Micronutrient Intake,Nutrient Intake,Nutritional Intake,Ingestion,Dietary Intakes,Feed Intakes,Intake, Dietary,Intake, Feed,Intake, Food,Intake, Macronutrient,Intake, Micronutrient,Intake, Nutrient,Intake, Nutritional,Macronutrient Intakes,Micronutrient Intakes,Nutrient Intakes,Nutritional Intakes
D005260 Female Females
D000273 Adipose Tissue Specialized connective tissue composed of fat cells (ADIPOCYTES). It is the site of stored FATS, usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES. In mammals, there are two types of adipose tissue, the WHITE FAT and the BROWN FAT. Their relative distributions vary in different species with most adipose tissue being white. Fatty Tissue,Body Fat,Fat Pad,Fat Pads,Pad, Fat,Pads, Fat,Tissue, Adipose,Tissue, Fatty

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