A Review of Some Results of Selection for Juvenile Body Weight in Chickens

Abstract

The development of the commercial broiler industry during the last half of the 20th century has seen dramatic changes in growth, feed efficiency, and yield. In this paper we extracted results from three independent two-way (high-low) selection experiments to interface with what has occurred in commercial broiler breeding. Although the experiments differed in duration, specific traits, and focus, when viewed as a whole there was consistency with changes that have occurred in commercial broilers during the past half century. Other than to point-out consistencies among what is seen with commercial stocks, correlated responses of reproductive traits are discussed peripherally. © 2003, Japan Poultry Science Association. All rights reserved.