![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
1. Shedding of group‐specific antigen of avian leukosis virus (ALV) into egg albumen was determined in three Australorp lines: AS line that had been selected primarily for short oviposition interval, ASS line that had been derived from the AS line and developed as a commercial dam line for egg laying, and AC line that had been kept as a randombred control.
2. The proportion of shedders was 131.1 to 16.7% in the AS line in 1984–88, 16.3% in the ASS line in 1984 (before culling of the shedders), and 6.1% and 6.6% in the AC line in 1984 and 1988, respectively.
3. In the AS line, shedders were 1.8% lower in rate of lay to 300 d of age, 1.3 g lower in average egg weight at 34 weeks of age, 5.6% lower in hatchability of fertile eggs and 0.24 h shorter in oviposition interval than non‐shedders. In the ASS line (1984 only), the differences between shedders and non‐shedders were in the same direction, but in magnitude greater for rate of lay and smaller for oviposition interval.
4. The shedders were favoured by the artificial selection because of their shorter oviposition interval and this appeared to be responsible for the higher levels of ALV shedding in the selection lines.
