Abstract
A 12-generation selection experiment involving a selected line (S) and a control line (C) has been conducted since 1992 with the aim of increasing the number of fertile eggs laid by the Brown Tsaiya duck after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen. On average, 28.9% of the females and 17.05% of the males were selected. The selection responses and the predicted responses showed similar trends. The average predicted genetic responses per generation in genetic standard deviation units were 0.40 for the number of fertile eggs, 0.45 for the maximum duration of fertility, and 0.32 for the number of hatched mule ducklings' traits. The fertility rates for days 2–8 after AI were 89.14% in the S line and 61.46% in the C line. Embryo viability was not impaired by this selection. The largest increase in fertility rate per day after a single AI was observed from d5 to d11. In G12, the fertility rate in the selected line was 91% at d2, 94% at d3, 92% at days 3 and 4 then decreased to 81% at d8, 75% at d9, 58% at d10 and 42% at d11. In contrast, the fertility rate in the control line showed an abrupt decrease from d4 (74%). The same tendencies were observed for the evolution of hatchability according to the egg set rates. It was concluded that selection for the number of fertile eggs after a single AI with pooled Muscovy semen could effectively increase the duration of the fertile period in ducks and that research should now be focused on ways to improve the viability of the hybrid mule duck embryo.
Highlights
IntroductionThe mule duck is the major commercial source of duck meat (soup or roasted) and is produced by crossing Tsaiya, Pekin or Kaiya (crossbred Pekin × White Tsaiya) ducks with Muscovy drakes
The mule duck is the major commercial source of duck meat and is produced by crossing Tsaiya, Pekin or Kaiya ducks with Muscovy drakes
Thereafter, Tai et al [11] found that the best selection criterion for duration of fertility in the Brown Tsaiya female duck seemed to be the number of fertile eggs laid between the 2nd and 15th day after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen
Summary
The mule duck is the major commercial source of duck meat (soup or roasted) and is produced by crossing Tsaiya, Pekin or Kaiya (crossbred Pekin × White Tsaiya) ducks with Muscovy drakes. Thereafter, Tai et al [11] found that the best selection criterion for duration of fertility in the Brown Tsaiya female duck seemed to be the number of fertile eggs laid between the 2nd and 15th day after a single AI with pooled Muscovy semen. In 1992, the Livestock Research Institute (LRI), Hsinhua, Tainan, Taiwan began a selection experiment to increase the number of fertile eggs (F) in the Brown Tsaiya female duck after a single AI with pooled Muscovy semen in one selected and one control (unselected) line [12]. Reports were published throughout the selection experiment [14,16,15]
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