The use of selection and strain crossing to reduce egg shell breakage

1. Selection for low egg shell deformation and high egg production was carried out in two White Leghorn strains, M and H, in order to test the feasibility of reducing the incidence of egg breakage without loss in egg production.

2. Selected and control lines were maintained within each strain.

3. After three generations of selection, egg shell deformation was reduced in the M selected line as compared to its control counterpart but this change in deformation was not accompanied by a reduction in egg breakage; however, no reduction in deformation or egg breakage was achieved in the H selected line.

4. Crossing the M and H strains resulted in a reduction of egg breakage in the crosses as compared to the average breakage of the parental strains, suggesting the potential of utilising strain crosses to reduce the incidence of egg shell breakage.

Notes

Present address: Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.