Genetic relationships between feed conversion ratio, growth curve and body composition in slow-growing chickens

Abstract

1. Relationships between feed conversion ratio, growth curve parameters and carcase composition were investigated on 1061 chickens from a slow-growing line of label-type chickens. The growth curve was modelled with the Gompertz function. Individual feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded between 8 and 10 weeks of age and residual feed consumption (RES) was calculated over the same interval. Abdominal fat yield (AFY), breast yield (BRY) and leg yield (LY) were also measured on the birds following slaughter at 75 d of age.

2. The means for FCR and RES were 3·15 and 0·62 g, respectively. Growth curve parameters were 0·141/d for initial specific growth rate (L), 0·031/d for maturation rate (K) and 48·9 d for age at inflexion (TI). Mean values for BRY, LY and AFY were 166, 306 and 40 g/kg, respectively.

3. Heritability of FCR and RES were moderate to high (0·33 and 0·38 to 0·45). Growth curve parameters and LY were moderately heritable (0·22 to 0·34) and BRY and AFY were highly heritable (0·50 and 0·66). Genetic correlations between growth curve parameters and either FCR or RES were low to moderate (−0·31 to 0·51). LY and AFY were highly correlated with FCR (−0·70 and 0·44) and RES (−0·32 and 0·44) but BRY was not (0·00 and −0·35). These results show that indirect selection for feed conversion ratio is possible by using growth curve parameters and abdominal fatness, which do not require rearing the chickens in cages.

Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by SASSO (Sélection de la Sarthe et du Sud-Ouest, Contract B04677) which is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Nicole Millet, Axel Boucard and the experimental unit of the Station de Recherches Avicoles, for technical assistance. They are grateful to the anonymous referee whose comments consistently improved this manuscript.