QTL Detection for Excretion Traits in Broilers

Abstract Text: Digestive efficiency (DE) has a large impact on excretion traits and on environmental impact of poultry production. A F2 cross between 2 lines of chickens divergently selected on DE has been used to detect QTL. A total of 865 birds were measured for the quantity of fresh and dry excreta as raw values (FEW, DEW) or as relative to consumption values (FEWC, DEWC), for water content (WC), pH (PHE) and nitrogen to phosphorus content ratio (NP) of excreta, and for pH of gizzard and jejunum contents (PHG, PHJ). Eleven QTL were found for: DEW (GGA19, GGA26), FEWC (GGA8), DEWC (GGA16), NP (GGA11, GGA26), WC (GGA28), PHG (GGA2, GGA16, GGA27), PHJ (GGA19). On chromosomes 16 and 27, QTL co-localized with QTL for DE. On chromosomes 8, 16 and 26, QTLs for excretion traits co-localized with QTLs for relative intestine length.

Keywords:

QTL

excretion

digestibility