Correlated responses in body composition to divergent selection for exponential growth rate to 14 or 42 days of age in chickens

Abstract

Chicks divergently selected for 14-d (14H and 14L) or 42-d (42H and 42L) exponential growth rate (EGR) over five generations were used to determine correlated responses between growth at different ages and body composition. Regression coefficient estimates across five generations of selection were not significant for any line at either age for percentage total body water or protein. Genetic correlations between EGR from hatching to 14 d of age (EGR14) and 42-d percentage carcass fat were -0.18, -0.57, 0.63, and -0.79 among the 14H, 14L, 42H, and 42L lines, respectively. Genetic correlations between EGR from hatching to 42 d of age (EGR42) and 42-d percentage carcass fat were 0.09, -0.67,0.50, and -0.75 among the 14H, 14L, 42H, and 42L lines, respectively. During the short-term selection experiment, selection for fast EGR14 or EGR42 increased fat at the age of selection. However, selection for fast EGR42 increased body weight and percentage fat at 42 d of age (DOA), whereas selection for fast EGR14 increased body weight but not fat at 42 DOA. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously select for high body weight at, or near, the inflection point of the growth curve without increasing fat deposition or obesity by taking advantage of the lack of a genetic correlation between EGR14 and body fat percentage at later ages.