21
Views
33
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Divergent selection for yolk cholesterol in laying hens

&
Pages 179-188 | Received 16 Mar 1976, Published online: 08 Nov 2007
 

1. Lines were selected for divergence in yolk‐cholesterol concentration for three and four generations in the Cornell Control (Leghorn) and Athens‐Canadian (AC) (meat‐type) randombred populations respectively. Selection was based on both individual and family records.

2. Cholesterol values were obtained from two consecutively laid eggs when birds were 28 weeks of age. The yolks of eggs from individual hens were pooled and analysed for cholesterol content by the colorimetric assay of Zlatkis et al. (1953) on the “fat extract” obtained by a modification of the procedure of Folch et al. (1956).

3. The largest differences between high and low lines (1.lb27 and 1.lb38 mg cholesterol/g yolk) were observed in the last generation of selection. There was evidence of a lack of response in the low lines. Realised herita‐bility estimates obtained by dividing the difference between high and low lines by half the cumulative selection differential ranged from 0.lb11 to 0.lb25 in the AC population and from 0.lb21 to 0.lb25 in the Leghorn population. Realised estimates on a within‐line basis suggest that selection for yolk cholesterol is effective only in the upward direction.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.