Laboratory Exercise No.

5
Poultry Breeding Program: Review and Analysis
BROILER
INTRODUCTION

The worldmeters.info recorded that as of January 1, 2022, the world population is

more than 7.9 billion and is continuously increasing. This continuous increase in the
population is posing threats to food security since the higher the population, the higher is
the demand for food. The scarcity of resources often leads to an unequal distribution of
supply which results in poverty and hunger. Thus, to address this problem, modern
practices in agriculture and fisheries are implemented. These practices aim to maximize
the production of food commodities while efficiently utilizing the available resources.

In the Philippines, one of the major players in food production is the poultry
industry. Since the country is still facing a crisis brought by African Swine fever, people
opt for poultry meat as an alternative source of protein. The demand for poultry meat is
projected to increase from 1.6 million metric tons in 2020 to about 1.8 million metric tons
by 2023 (Berkhout, 2020). In broiler production, Environmentally Controlled housing and
technology-driven feed and feeding strategies are just a few of the most significant
breakthroughs which improved the production system of this industry. However,
environment and nutrition are just cofactors that contribute to the growth and development
of broiler chickens. The genetic makeup of a species is one of the limiting factors that
affect its overall productivity. Thus, in broilers production, a systematic breeding and
selection program is practiced to enhance the gain in weight, feed conversion efficiency,
disease resistance, and other desirable qualities.

Throughout the years, different breeding methods were studied and applied.
Currently, there are broiler breeds that are harvested in just 28 days. Broilers are now
efficient feed converters compared to the 1950s, where it takes 84 days to produce 1.8
kilograms of broiler chicken with a total feed consumption of 3.25 kilograms (The Poultry
Site, 2016). The advances in animal breeding created many positive results in the poultry
industry. However, the rapid changes brought by these advances raised issues on animal
welfare. This, activity will discuss the different breeding programs, mating systems as well
as the positive and negative impacts of breeding in the broiler industry.

OBJECTIVES
After the exercise, the students should be able to:

1. Evaluate a poultry breeding program; and

2. Develop a practical breeding program for the poultry species assigned.

MATERIALS
1. Farm on poultry species assigned
2. Agrivet/Feed Store
METHODOLOGY

1.Visit a specific poultry or breeding farm of the poultry assigned. Or, search online if visit
is impossible due to Covid.
2. Record the following:

a) Source of stock

Stocks are selected according to the farm preferences. Healthy and good quality
chicks are purchased from trusted suppliers. The table shows the breeds, suppliers and
breeders of broilers available in the Philippines.

Breed Supplier Breeder Primary Characteristics

o excellent livability
o very good growth rate
Arbor Acres San Miguel o efficient feed
Broiler Corporation Aviagen conversion ratio
o very good meat
yield.

Formerly from
Hubbard,
o taste like native
Hubbard Tyson Agro French
chickens
Broilers Ventures company but
o free-range broiler
currently a part
of Aviagen

Shaver o One of the oldest

Universal
Shaver StarBro Canadian broiler breeds used in the
Robina Farms
Company Philippines

o most popular broilers

Aviagen Asia o excellent meat
Ross Broilers Aviagen
Pacific Ltd. producers
o good breast yield

Cobb- Cobb-Vantress, o can survive in various

Cobb Broilers
Vantress, Inc Inc environments

Source: poultrymanual.com
b) Selection stocks to raise

One of the biggest factors that affects the overall success of broiler farming is the
quality of chicks used in the production. This quality determines the chick’s potential for
healthy growth. To produce quality chicks, the parent breeder stocks are selected
properly. But before the selection process, a group of healthy chicks are reared in a rearing
house to prepare them for breeding. When they reach maturity, the most productive birds
in the flock are retained for breeding while the unhealthy and the unproductive ones are
culled. Selecting stocks to raise covers the same criteria when you are selecting broiler
chicks for growing. The following picture shows the qualities of a healthy chick.

c) Breeding method

1. Random Mating
- A breeding method used to develop a control population for the purpose
of measuring the effects of other breeding systems.

2. Inbreeding
- Is the breeding method between closely related individuals. This
method aims to increases homozygosity within a strain or a breed.
There are three types of Inbreeding; the close breeding, the line
breeding and the strain formation.

▪ Close Inbreeding – is a mating of parent and progeny and mating

of sibs. This aims to lower heterozygosity by 10 t0 12 percent
 ▪ Line Inbreeding – it is a mating with a highly admired individual in
an ancestral line. This type of inbreeding aims to increase the
number of outstanding individuals in the flock. This system
maintains an at least 50 % inbreeding coefficient.

▪ Strain Formation – this type of inbreeding reduces heterozygosity

in a slower rate compared to other types of inbreeding. It is termed
as a mild form of inbreeding. It aims to develop a desirable congenic
trait which is adopted within the breed.

3. Outbreeding
-It is the opposite of inbreeding. Outbreeding is mating between unrelated
individuals in the flock. This type of breeding aims to increase the
heterozygosity of the birds in the flock. The following are the different
methods of outbreeding.

▪ Single or 2-way cross – it is mating two different strains or breed to

produce a first filial generation or F1.

A X
B

AB
▪ 3-way cross – F1 female (AB) is mated to a third line male (C) to
produce F2 progeny (ABC).

A X
B

AB X C

ABC
 ▪ 4 – way cross – two different single - cross (F1) are mated

A X
B C D
X

AB CD
X

ABCD

▪ Crossbreeding to produce a new trait – this is done by crossing

different breeds to produce a strain with desirable traits. This is
used to produce modern breeds of broiler chicken

d) Mating system

▪ Natural mating – a mating system where a male and a female mate by natural means

Natural Mating Method

Mating System Description

▪ mating method where a rooster is placed with a group of hens in a
single pen (Claborn Farms, 2021)
Pen ▪ use for pedigree hatching
mating ▪ mating pen size is 8ft x 6ft
▪ male to female ratio for light breeds 1 : 10 or 12 and 1 : 8 or 10 for
heavy breeds
Advantages Disadvantages
▪ Male might prefer mating on certain
▪ More females are allowed to mate females only
with one male ▪ Lower fertility compared to flock
mating
▪ Male is separately confined in a stud pen
Stud ▪ The pen size is 2 ft X 3 ft
mating ▪ One female is placed in the stud pen with the confined male then
replaced by another after a successful mating and so on
 Advantages Disadvantages

▪ Higher fertility compared to pen

and flock mating
▪ laborious
▪ More offspring are produced from
a male with a high merit

Flock ▪ two or more males are placed in a pen with several females
mating ▪ male to female ratio is higher than in the pen mating

Advantages Disadvantages
▪ birds can mate with a mate of their
choice ▪ some males are aggressive which
▪ high fertility prevents other male to mate within the
▪ suitable for the production of chicks flock
for commercial purposes
▪ Male are shifted from different pens
Shift
▪ This is done to test the breeding value of males and locate the
mating
superior ones

Advantages
▪ Large number of males can be
tested in a small space
▪ Breeding worth of females can be
evaluated accurately
Disadvantages
▪ accuracy of the parentage of the
progeny is difficult to determine

▪ Artificial Insemination is a mating system where the semen of the male is deposited in
the reproductive tract of the female through a pipette or an AI gun.

Figure 1. Left: Milking or the process of collecting semen from male chickens; Right:
Depositing the semen to the female reproductive organ of broiler chicken
 Advantages Disadvantages

▪ Hybridization is possible
▪ Laborious
▪ High mating ratio and the use of male semen can
▪ High risk of
be maximized
contamination due to
▪ Males with outstanding performance but is not
mismanagement of
capable of mating (old or injured) can still be
equipment
used
▪ Hens might experience
▪ Preferential mating is avoided
stress during the
▪ Incompatible male and females can be mated
Artificial Insemination
▪ The risk of disease transfer due to mating is
process
reduced

e) Stock selection and culling

The parent stock undergoes a thorough evaluation process before it is selected for
breeding. It is important to choose the most productive parent breeder since this trait will
be passed to their future offspring. The birds are reared together until they reach the right
age and condition for breeding. Mating starts when broilers reach 21 weeks of age.

©en.aviagen.com
Figure 2. Left: Mature male broiler; Right: Immature male broiler

©en.aviagen.com
Figure 3. Left: Mature female broiler; Right: Immature female broiler
When broilers start mating, they are regularly assessed and evaluated. The following are
the basic criteria in evaluating broiler breeders.

▪ Body Conformation

Refers to the overall physical condition of broiler chicken. It is important to

assess the physical condition of the broilers because it also reflects the status of its
health. The bird’s back should be crescent-shaped not wedge-shaped or hunch
backed. It should have an upright head, broad breast and well-laid feathers. It is also
better to choose broiler with less pin feathers since this will affect the quality of broiler
meat during the processing.

Specific Requirements for Male Broilers

▪ Body weight must reach the target weight
▪ Body condition which refers to the breast shape and fleshing is assessed at least
once a week as basis for determining feeding strategies

Figure 4. Left: Manual

assessment of broiler body
condition; Right: A
Computer Tomography X-
ray Scanner used to
assess broiler body
condition
©en.aviagen.com ©en.aviagen.com
 ▪ Leg and feet must be free from any physical damages since this will affect the
performance of the male during mating. The legs are straight and the footpads
are clean and healthy.

▪ A good quality male may partially lose feathers in the shoulders and the thighs

©en.aviagen.com

Figure 5. Left: A active male broiler shows some feather wear; Right: Inactive male
broiler

▪ A healthy vent is moist, reddish in color and shows some feather wear

©en.aviagen.com

Figure 6. Left: Vent of an active male; Right: Vent of inactive male broilers are
pale, dry and it has no feather wears around it

▪ Comb and wattles are intense red in color, the beak is also in uniform size

©en.aviagen.com

Figure 7. Left: The area surrounding the eyes of active male broilers are bright red in color;
Right: On the other hand, inactive males are pale in color
 Specific Requirements for Female Broilers

▪ Body weight must reach the weight limit for female breeders
▪ Egg production and egg weight
▪ Fat pad is assessed at least once a week to minimize the risk of developing
excess fat and maintain the ideal weight and body conformation for female
breeders.
▪ Pin-bone or pelvic bone spacing is monitored to determine the proper time to
light stimulate the female breeders. Pin-bone spacing changes as the broiler
ages. Picture on the left shows how pin-bone spacing is assessed.

Age Changes in the

Pin-bone
84 – 91 days closed

119 days 1 finger

21 days before first egg 1 ½ fingers

10 days before first egg 2-2 ½ fingers

Point of lay 3 fingers

©en.aviagen.com

▪ Health

Healthy broilers must be free from any abnormalities and diseases. It should
be from any blisters, calluses, bruises, and other injuries. The eyes must look round,
bright, and alert. The bird’s plumage must be close-fitting, dry, and clean; the same
goes with the feathers around the vent. Another indication of a healthy broiler is the
condition of its comb and wattle. The color must be bright red with a smooth, sturdy,
and waxy texture.

f) Abnormalities
Since broiler breeder chicks undergo careful evaluation before they are selected,
abnormalities may have developed later due to some factors. The following are examples
of the common abnormalities occurring in broiler breeders.

▪ Rickets

Although broiler breeders are carefully selected, some may develop

deformities during the growing stage. The cause is often linked to some genetic factors
and nutrient deficiencies. Since broilers are grown in a confined environment, they
have less access to natural sunlight, which is a source of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 plays
an important role in the balance and mobilization of calcium and phosphorus in the
body. When vitamin D3 is deficient, the calcium-phosphorus imbalance will cause
defective bone formations leading to a condition called rickets. Rickets may also
develop into severe deformities in the leg bone.

▪ Valgus and Varus deviations of tibiotarsi (VVD)

The VVD is a deformity where an anatomical part of the body turns in an

outward (Valgus) or inward (Varus) angle from its midline. This deformity often affects
one or both legs of broiler chicken and affects more males than females. The major
cause of VVD is not yet clearly identified, but broilers showing symptoms of rickets
due to poor bone mineralization have a higher potential of developing this deformity.
Valgus/varus leg deformity might also occur due to a nutrient-deficient condition called
chondrodystrophy. This happens when choline, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, and
nicotic acid are deficient. Broilers with Valgus/Varus leg deformity cannot easily
access feed and water, thus affecting their growth and productivity.

©www.thepoultrysite.com

Figure 8. The difference between Valgus and Varus leg deformity.

©www.sciencedirect.com
Figure 9. Left: Broiler with Varus leg deformity; Right: Broiler with Valgus leg
deformity
▪ Spondylolisthesis (Kinky Back)

Spondylolisthesis or also known as Kinky back is a condition where a vertebral

part rotates and causes a deformation on the vertebral column. Fast-growing birds are
prone to this kind of deformity. Since broilers have a faster growth rate than other types
of chicken, they are most likely to develop this disease. Although considered non-
infectious, it can cause spinal cord compression and posterior paralysis in broilers.
Other types of Spondylolistheses are kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis. Birds with
Spondylolisthesis cannot easily move to access feed and water which leads to
starvation. Broiler breeders with symptoms of Spondylolisthesis are culled
immediately. To prevent this deformity in broiler breeders, resistant breeds are
selected, and feed restriction programs are implemented to control their growth rate.

©Ivan Dinev, 2012

Figure 10. Left: The vertebral column of a broiler suffering from Spondylolisthesis;
Right: A broiler pullet with Spondylolisthesis is sitting on its metatarsal joints while its
legs are stretched forward.

▪ Dyschondroplasia

Is a condition where abnormal cartilage masses grow from the growth plate
into the metaphysis of the long bone. This condition leads to the thickening of the
growth plate and may develop in the distal tibia, proximal humerus and proximal
and distal femur.
 ©Jiang et al.,2019 www.mdpi.com

Figure 11. Left: A normal tibia from a broiler pullet; Right: A tibia affected with
Dyschondroplasia; the encircled part shows the growing mass on the growth
plate of the bone.

3. Tabulate data collected.

Note: If this is impossible due to Covid, then search online on the breeds and breeding
practices of some farms in the country.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the positive and negative issues in relation to the breeding practices of the
farm you visited or give your reaction/comments on the on the online reference/s.
 Positive impacts of Broiler Breeding

Broiler breeding created a huge positive impact on food production. Through

advanced breeding systems, fast-growing breeds of broilers were developed. For
example, current broiler breeds can now reach the target market weight in just 28 days
of growing. This short production time increases the number of production cycles in a
year resulting in a higher income. In addition, the improvement in the gain in weight
and feed conversion efficiency resulted in a lower production cost. The reduced
production cost directly affects the market price of the final product; thus, increasing
its affordability.

In countries where resources are scarce, Open-sided type of rearing house is

still preferred than the Environmentally controlled houses. However, a high incidence
of heat stress in broilers was observed in this type of housing. Through the advances
in poultry breeding, new broiler breeds are improved to withstand heat stress. This
reduces the mortality rate due to the adverse effects brought by the environment. In
addition, scientific studies enabled poultry breeders to develop breeds that are
resistant to a specific type of disease. This lowers the risk of disease outbreaks in the
flock. Therefore, broiler breeding aims to produce a breed that is fast-growing, efficient
feed converters, and high in immunity.

Negative Issues in Broiler Breeding

Although broiler breeding has a lot of positive effects on food production, the
processes used in this practice raise different negative issues all over the world. In
some countries, these practices are banned and considered illegal because it violates
animal welfare laws. The following are the issues based on the different online
references discussed in this activity.

▪ Excisions or mutilations

Beak Trimming/debeaking

Beak trimming is a practice where the sharp upper and lower mandible of
broilers chicks are removed. This beak-trimming practice prevents injury caused by
broiler feather-pecking behaviors. Beak trimming also reduces the risk of
cannibalism among birds in the flock. However, the performance of beak-trimmed
day-old chicks was reduced for the first six weeks of growing due to the psychogenic
stress caused by the process (Henderson et al, 2009). In addition, the debeaking
process is quite stressful to young chicks, and improper debeaking may lead to
excessive bleeding and infection.
 Toe Clipping and de-spurring

This is done by clipping the hind toe of broiler breeder cockerels to prevent
injuries in the hen during the mating process. Toe-clipping is done in newly hatched
chicks using a toe clipping device. While de-spurring is done by briefly pushing the
spurs into a hot spot to stop them from growing. Both processes are painful and
stressful, especially for newly hatched chicks.

▪ Improper handling during Mating

Space requirement

Each type of mating system has a specific space requirement. In some

breeder farms, where they do not observe proper stocking density overcrowding
may occur. Overcrowding is found to increase the corticosterone levels of chicks
during the first 6six weeks of growing (Eugene, et al.2019). This corticosterone is
a hormone released by the cortex of the adrenal gland when the animal is under
stress. When the stress level of an organism is high, its metabolism and immunity
are affected, which reduces its productivity. In addition, overcrowding in broilers
with injurious pecking behavior may increase the incidence of cannibalism.

Issues on Artificial Insemination

Artificial insemination is a technology where semen is manually transferred

into the reproductive tract of female breeders. This process involves semen
collection in male breeders called “milking”. Reproduction is a biological need that
involves the natural process of mating. However, during artificial insemination,
broiler breeders are restrained and forcefully inseminated. Thus, this practice is
raising animal welfare issues in different parts of the world.

2. Enumerate and discuss problems related to breeding management faults.

Managing a broiler breeder farm is a very sensitive job. It requires an

advance and systematic management plan. Overlooking some factors during from
the growing to the breeding stage can greatly affect the general performance of
the broiler breeders. The following are the crucial areas where management faults
usually happen.

Inappropriate feed and feeding practices

Broilers are fast-growing breeds of chicken. They can reach the target
market weight in just 28 days of growing. However, this is not beneficial when
 raising a broiler breeder. Since broiler breeders are raised until they reach maturity,
their fast-growing trait may cause overweighing which leads to different health
problems. Currently, feed restriction is implemented to control and maintain their
weight until they reach the breeding stage. The implementation of feed restriction
practices is very crucial. It has both positive and negative effects. Without ample
knowledge on how to manipulate the different feed and feeding strategies, the
practice of feed restriction may alleviate more negative effects on the health and
welfare of broilers. Thus, the person in charge needs to understand how the type
of feed, the time of feeding, the amount of feed the protein, and energy levels affect
the productivity of broiler breeders.

Incorrect Photostimulation

Proper management of photostimulation is just as important as feed

management. This is vital especially when breeder hens are on their laying stage.
Managing the photostimulation in broiler breeders includes different factors such
as flock weight and uniformity. Broiler breeders must reach the target weight since
this affects the feeding management of the whole flock during photostimulation. If
the flock is sexually uneven, it may affect the fertility and the number of eggs per
hen. This is because some of the breeder hens who have not yet reached the
target weight during photostimulation are not just utilizing feed nutrients for egg
production and body maintenance but also use it for supplementary growth.
Mismanagement in photostimulation reduces the overall productivity of the
breeding flock.

Proper housing and stocking density

Proper housing and stocking density is also important when raising broiler
breeders. The use of inappropriate litter bedding materials may increase foot
disease infection and other leg related injuries. While improper stocking density
may cause overcrowding which leads to stress, competition and injurious pecking
behavior.

CONCLUSION

Advanced breeding was established to address the problems in food production.

Throughout the years, breeding programs are getting more scientific and advanced.
However, some of these breeding practices have negative effects on animal welfare.
Thus, understanding the basic principles in poultry breeding will help create a systemic
breeding program that is less harmful to broiler breeders. In addition, proper management
of the factors that affect broiler breeder productivity will reduce the negative effects of
breeding.
REFERENCES

Aviagen. 2016. A Guide to Managing Broilers in Open-sided Housing. Retrieved from:

www.aviagen.com

Berkhout, N. 2020. Philippines: Chicken overtakes pork as preferred protein. Poultry

World. Retrieved from: https://www.poultryworld.net/Meat/Articles/2020/4/Philippines-
Chicken-overtakes-pork-as-preferred-protein-576305E/

Dinev, I. 2010. Diseases of Poultry. The Poultry Site. Retrieved from:

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/diseases-of-poultry/224/dyschondroplasia

Eugen, K. V., Nordquist, R. E., Zeinstra, E., & Staay, F. (2019). Stocking Density Affects
Stress and Anxious Behavior in the Laying Hen Chick During Rearing. Animals : an open
access journal from MDPI, 9(2), 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9020053

Freelancer. 2016. Broiler Growth Traits Can Still Improve Further. The Poultry Site.
Retrieved from: https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/broiler-growth-traits-can-still-
improve-further

Henderson et al. 2009. Comparison of beak-trimming methods on early broiler breeder

performance. Poultry Science,Volume 88, Issue 1, Pages 57-60, ISSN 0032-5791.
Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119388959

Kumari et al. 2019. Artificial Insemination in Poultry. English Monthly Magazine. Retrieved
from: https://thepoultrypunch.com/2019/04/artificial-insemination-in-poultry/

Poultry Manual. 2021. List of Contract Growers in the Philippines. Retrieved from:
poultrymanual.com/category/list-of-contract-growers-in-the-philippines/

Ross Parent Stock Management Handbook. 2019. Retrieved from:

https://en.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_Center/Ross_PS/RossPSHandBook2018.pdf

Selection and Evaluation. ND. Retrieved from:

http://agadventures.weebly.com/uploads/9/3/6/9/9369630/sr_lesson_2_selection_and_e
valuation.pdf

Van Wettere, A.J. 2020. Noninfectious Skeletal Disorders in Poultry Broilers. MSD
Veterinary Manual. Retrieved from: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultry/disorders-of-
the-skeletal-system-in-poultry/noninfectious-skeletal-disorders-in-poultry-broilers

Web Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHMYjs765cc

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
https://www.poultryworld.net/Health/health_tool/Kinky-Back-spondylolisthesis/

https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/59756/1/Systems%20of%20poultry%20bre
eding.pdf