AnSc 121 LESSON 8

Poultry Stock Selection

  • process in which certain individuals in the population preferred the production of next-generation

  1. Individual selection - individually selected from the flock and put together for mass mating.

  2. Pedigree selection - based on the performance of parents or ancestors.

  3. Family selection - selected based on the performance of the whole family, 2 types: progeny and sib testing

Methods of Mating

  • flock mating

  • pen-mating

  • stud mating

  • shift mating

  • artificial insemination

Tandem Method

  • selection of only one trait at a time

Selection Index

  • also called as total score method, includes the estimation of the bird’s total breeding value

Pen mating

  • group of hens can mate with a cock in a pen

  • male to female ratio- 1:10 or 12 for light breeds/ 1:8 or 10 for heavy breeds

Flock mating

  • mass mating system

  • 1:12 or 1:15 of light breeds and 10 to 12 females of heavy breeds

Shift mating

  • sires are shifted in breeding pens

  • a female can be mated with several males

Stud mating

  • male is kept separately, females are picked up from the pen one by one

Artificial Insemination (A.I.)

  • semen is collected from males and females are inseminated

Economic traits in breeders

Layers

  • Fertility

  • Hatchability

  • Viability

  • Par and Annual egg produce

  • Egg quality traits

  • Feed efficiency

  • Persistency

Broilers

  • Body wts at various ages

  • Feed efficiency

  • Fertility

  • Hatchability

  • Viability

  • Slaughter traits