British Poultry Research Articles

Data note on the Avian Contact Study: a questionnaire resource for avian influenza public health planning

The Avian Contact Study is a cross-sectional questionnaire of poultry workers and other individuals who have contact with domestic and/or wild birds in the UK. The questionnaire was launched online in May 2024 and in-person responses were gathered at the British Pig and Poultry Fair in Birmingham on 15 and 16 May 2024. This Data Note documents questionnaire development, content and delivery methods. Data collected include information on demographics, seasonal influenza vaccination, avian influenza exposure, contact with birds and people, and awareness of avian influenza. This Data Note provides insights into the first data release collected up to 31 July 2024 for 225 respondents. Data have been released as a University of Bristol held dataset available upon request. The Avian Contact Study provides a pilot resource for research into avian influenza from a zoonotic perspective.

Suspected Laminosioptes cysticola (fowl cyst mite) lesions in backyard chickens in southern England

AbstractPostmortem examination of poultry from several backyard flocks in the south of England revealed five chickens (Gallus gallus) from one backyard flock with lesions compatible with the fowl cyst mite (Laminosioptes cysticola). All affected birds were mature hens and had subcutaneous and fascial, randomly scattered, 1–5 mm, calcareous nodules. Histological findings included a thin fibrous capsule, embedding glassy, pale basophilic acellular material that stained positive with von Kossa histochemistry consistent with mineralization. There were also some granulomatous lesions, detected in two of five birds, that were biconvex and made of an accumulation of amorphous eosinophilic material, collagen‐like fibrillary material and fibroblasts, embedding some yellow to brown, refractile flakes and fragments of foreign bodies (suspected acarid exoskeletal remnants). Fresh and formalin‐fixed tissues were examined by PCR for mite DNA with no positive results. Laminosioptes mites may be present in British backyard poultry.

The effect of natural feed additive on productive performance of broiler chickens

The effect of natural feed additive on productive performance of broiler chickens

The effect of different vegetable oils on energy content of table eggs yolk

Article Details: Received: 2020-08-31 | Accepted: 2020-11-16 | Available online: 2021-06-30 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.02.137-140 The aim of this study was to analyse the gross energy (GE) value of egg yolk from hens feed with different vegetable oils addition and based on gained results calculate the linear regression between GE and dry matter % (DM) in yolk. Total 66 hens Lohmann brown lite were divided in to 11 groups according to concentration and type of used vegetable oil (pumpkin oil 3%, flax seed oil 3%, indian hemp seed oil 2.5% and 5%, grape seed oil 2.5% and 5%, olive oil 2.5 and 5%, apricot seed oil 2.5% and 5%). Hens were in 40 th week of life and were housed per 6 in cage. From each group eight eggs were randomly selected. In total 88 egg yolks were separated and analysed for DM and GE content. The highest yolk GE was detected in group with 3% pumpkin oil addition (1639 kJ/100g) followed by groups with 2.5 and 5% indian hemp seed oil addition 1632 and 1632 kJ/100g, respectively. Difference between these three groups compared to yolk GE content (1584 kJ/100g) in control group was significant (P<0.05). All other added oils increased the yolk GE (P>0.05). GE concertation of yolk can be calculated as follows: GE = -17.34 + (32.73 * DM), R 2 = 0.819. Keywords: laying hens, egg yolk gross energy, regression References Antova, G. A. et al. (2019). Comparative analysis of nutrient content and energy of eggs from different chicken genotypes. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 99(13), 5890–5898. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9863 AOAC. (2000). Official methods of analysis AOAC. International 17th edition. Association of Analytical Communities, Gaithersburg. Benková, J. (2008). Artificial hatching of poultry is nothing simple. Slovenský chov, 13(6), 45-47. In Slovak. Gálik, B.et al. (2014). The effect of dietary Rhus coriaria L. on table eggs yolk nutrients composition. Acta fytotechnica et zootechnica, 17(3), 93–95. https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2014.17.03.93-95 Herkeľ, R. et al. (2016). Fatty acid profile and nutritional composition of table eggs after supplementation by pumpkin and flaxseed oils. Acta Veterinaria Brno, 85(3), 277–283. https://doi.org/10.2754/avb201685030277 Hrnčár, C. & Bujko, J. (2012). Effect of pre-storage incubation of hatching eggs on hatchability of poultry. Acta fytotechnica et zootechnica, 15(2), 34-37. http://www.acta.fapz.uniag.sk/journal/index.php/on_line/article/view/31 Javad, N. et al. (2011). Effects of amino acids and metabolizable energy on egg characteristics and broiler breeder performance. African Journal of Biotechnology, 10(49), 10066–10071. https://doi.org/10.5897/ajb11.1268 Noble, R. C. et al. (1996). Yolk lipids and their fatty acids in the wild and captive ostrich (Struthio camelus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 113(4), 753–756. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-0491(95)02097-7 Pearson, R. A. & Herron, K. M. (1981). Effects of energy and protein allowances during lay on the reproductive performance of broiler breeder hens. British Poultry Science, 22(3), 227–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071688108447881 Pištěková, V. et al. (2011). The quality comparison of eggs laid by laying hens kept in battery cages and in a deep litter system. Czech Journal of Animal Science, 51(7), 318–325. https://doi.org/10.17221/3945-cjas Radu-Rusu, R. et al. (2014). Chemical features, cholesterol and energy content of table hen eggs from conventional and alternative farming systems. South African Journal of Animal Science, 44(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v44i1.5 Roe, M. et al. (2013). Nutrient analysis of eggs. Analytical Report (revised version). UK Government, Department of Health and Social Care. Retrieved December 10, 2020 from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/167973/Nutrient_analysis_of_ eggs_Analytical_Report.pdf Roztočilová, A. et al. (2018). Effect of purple wheat RU 687- 12 on performance parameters of laying hens at the end of the lay. In NutriNET 2018. Proceedings of reviewed scientific papers. Mendel University in Brno (pp. 92–97). Vojtaššáková, A. et al. (2000). Milk and eggs. Food nutrition tables. Výskumný ústav potravinársky, Bratislava. In Slovak. Van der Wagt, I. et al. (2020). A review on yolk sac utilization in poultry. Poultry Science, 99(4), 2162–2175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2019.11.041 Zhang, Y. (2016). Studies on chicken hatchability and its relation with egg yolk metabolites. Dissertation thesis. GeorgAugust-University, Göttingen.

Effect of GM maize on metabolism and performance of chicken

Effect of GM maize on metabolism and performance of chicken

Effect of rhizopus stolonifer fermented cocoa pod husk meal supplemented with enzyme on growth performance, heamato-biochemical indices and sexual maturity of pullet chicken

Effect of rhizopus stolonifer fermented cocoa pod husk meal supplemented with enzyme on growth performance, heamato-biochemical indices and sexual maturity of pullet chicken

Effect of humic acid substances on proteolytic activity in intestine, digestibility of crude protein and protein content in the blood of broiler chickens

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-18 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.159-163 The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary intake of humic substances (HS) on the proteolytic activity and the digestibility of crude protein (CP) measured as the apparent assimilable mass coefficient of CP corrected for protein catabolism (AMC N ) in the intestine as well as on the total protein and albumin content in the serum of broiler chickens (Cobb 500, n=120). Chickens (groups A, B, C / negative control) were fed with mixtures with CP (g.kg -1 DM) – Hyd1 230.20 (d 1-7), Hyd2 222.20 (d 8-28), Hyd3 209.40 (d 29-37) for 37 days. The humic substances were added into diets of experimental groups in the feed additive according to the content of humic/fulvic acids (HA/FA; g.kg -1 ) A 4.55/0.35, B 3.99/0.35, C 2.85/0.25. The body weights and feed consumption were measured once a week. The average daily weight gains and the feed conversion ratio were calculated. The dietary intake of HS had a positive effect on the increase of proteolytic activities in the intestinal apparatus and caused the significant enhancement of AMC N of birds from experimental groups on days 17, 24 and 31. However, the values of the total protein and the albumin in the serum were significantly decreased in the groups after intake of HA/FA 4.55/0.35 or 3.99/0.35 in the feed. Keywords: gut of poultry, humates, enzymatic activity, crude protein, albumin References Arif, M. et al. (2016). Impacts of dietary humic acid supplementation on growth performance, some blood metabolites and carcass traits of broiler chicks. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences , 86(9), 1073–1078. Broderick, G. A. (1987). Determination of protein degradation rates using a rumen in vitro system containing inhibitors of microbial nitrogen metabolism. British Journal of Nutrition, 58(3), 463–475. 10.1079/bjn19870114 Carvalho, L. H. M., De Koe, T. and Tavares, P. B. (1998). An improved molybdenum blue method for simultaneous determination of inorganic phosphate and arsenate. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Restoration, 1(1), 13–19. Cunniff, P. (1995). Official Methods of Analysis of Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 16th edn., Arlington, Va, USA: AOAC International. Daněk, P., Paseka, A., Smola, J., Ondráček, J., Bečková, R. and Rozkot, M. (2005). Influence of lecithin emulsifier on the utilisation of nutrients and growth of piglets after weaning. Czech Journal of Animal Science , 50, 459–465. https://doi.org/10.17221/4245-CJAS European Commission (2009). Commission Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 of 27 January 2009 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of feed. Official Journal of European Union , 54, 1–130. Gomez-Rosales, S. and Angeles, M. D. (2015). Addition of a worm leachate as source of humic substances in the drinking water of broiler chickens. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences , 28(2), 215–222. 10.5713/ajas.14.0321 Grieninger, G. and Granick, S. (1975). Synthesis and differentiation of plasma proteins in cultured embryonic chicken liver cells: a system for study of regulation of protein synthesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, 72(12), 5007–5011. 10.1073/pnas.72.12.5007 Gugliemo C. G. and Karasov W. H. (1993). Endogenous mass and energy losses in ruffed grouse. The Auk, 110(2), 386–390. Jamdar, S. N., Harikumar, P. (2005). Autolytic degradation of chicken intestinal proteins. Bioresource Technol. , 96(11), 1276–1284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2004.10.014 Kočí, Š. et al. (1994). The nutrient requirements and nutrient value of feeds for poultry. 1. ed.1 Nitra: Research institute of animal production, 46 pp. McMurphy, C. P., Duff, G. C., Sanders, S. R., Cuneo, S. P. and Chirase, N. K. (2011). Effects of supplementing humates on rumen fermentation in Holstein steers. South African Journal of Animal Science , 41(2), 134–140. 10.4314/sajas.v41i2.71017 Ozturk, E. et al. (2014). Performance, meat quality, meat mineral contents and caecal microbial population responses to humic substances administered in drinking water in broilers. British Poultry Science , 55(5), 668–674. 10.1080/00071668.2014.960807 Van Loon, J. C. (1980). Analytical Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Selected methods. New York: Academic press, 337 pp. Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A. (1991). Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fibre, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science, 74(10), 3583–3597. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(91)78551-2 Windisch, W. et al. (2008). Use of phytogenic products as feed additives for swine and poultry. Journal of Animal Science , 86(14 Suppl), E140-E148. 10.2527/jas.2007-0459

Effects of dietary fumonisins on nutrients digestibility in weanling pigs

Submitted 2020-06-15 | Accepted 2020-07-01 | Available 2020-12-01 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.23-28 The aim of the study was to ascertain the potential effects of fumonisins on nutrients’ digestibility in the gastrointestinal tract. Eighteen (n= 6 x 3) weanling pigs from the age of 35 days were administered 0, 15 or 30 mg/kg dietary fumonisins (FB1, FB2 and FB3) for a period of 21days, after an acclimatization period of 14 days. Titanium dioxide (0.5%) was added as indigestible marker to the feed and representative fecal samples were taken during a 5-day collection period in order to determine the digestibility of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, starch, ash, calcium, phosphorus and energy. The final body weights, cumulative feed intake and relative organ weights of all groups were were not influenced by treatment (p>0.05). Digestibility of energy, crude fiber, ash, calcium and phosphorus were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the control group relative to either 15 or 30 mg/kg treated pigs. These findings suggest that fumonisins in a dose of 15 or 30 mg/kg potentially distorts total tract nutrient digestibility in weanling pigs and thus, compromise the nutritive value of the mixed feed. Keywords: fumonisins, pigs, gastrointestinal tract, nutrients digestibility References Association of Official Analytical Chemists. (2000). AOAC International, Gaithersburg, 17. ed MD, USA. Bartók, T. et al. (2010). Detection and characterization of twenty-eight isomers of fumonisin B1 (FB1) mycotoxin in a solid rice culture infected with Fusarium verticillioides by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization time-of-flight and ion trap mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 24(1), 35–42. Bouhet, S. and Oswald, I.P. (2007). The intestine as a possible target for fumonisin toxicity. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 51(8), 925–931. Choct M. (2009). Managing gut health through nutrition. British Poultry Science, 50(1), 9–15. Ewing, W.N. (2008). The Living Gut. 2. ed. Nottingham, UK: Nottingham University Press. Gbore, F.A., Yinusa, R.I. and Salleh, B. (2010). Evaluation of sub-chronic dietary fumonisin B1 on nutrient digestibility and growth performance of rats. African Journal of Biotechnology, 9(38), 6442–6447. Gbore, F.A. (2007). Effect of dietary fumonisin B1 on histomorphology and histopathology of organs of pubertal boars. American-Eurasian Journal of Scientific Research, 2, 75–79. Gbore, F.A. and Egbunike, G.N. (2007). Influence of dietary fumonisin B1 on nutrient utilization by growing pigs. Livestock Research for Rural Development, Volume19, Article #93. Retrieved June 5, 2020 from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd19/7/gbor19093.htm Gelineau-van Waes, J. et al. (2009). Maternal fumonisin exposure as a risk factor for neural tube defects. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, 56, 145–181. Grenier, B. and Applegate, T. (2013). Modulation of intestinal functions following mycotoxin ingestion: Meta-analysis of published experiments in animals. Toxins, 5(2), 396–430. Harrison, L.R. et al. (1990). Pulmonary edema and hydrothorax in swine produced by fumonisin B1, a toxic metabolite of Fusarium moniliforme. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 2(3), 217–221. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (2002). Working group on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Some traditional herbal medicines, some mycotoxins, naphthalene and styrene. IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans, 82, 1–556. Islami, F. et al. (2009). Oesophageal cancer in Golestan Province, a high-incidence area in northern Iran - a review. European Journal of Cancer, 45(18), 3156–3165. Merrill, A. H. et al. (2001). Sphingolipid metabolism: roles in signal transduction and disruption by fumonisins. Environmental Health Perspectives, 109(2), 283–289. Nelson, P.E., Desjardins, A.E. and Plattner, R.D. (1993). Fumonisins, mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species: biology, chemistry, and significance. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 31, 233–252. Rheeder, J.P., Marasas, W.F. and Vismer, H.F. (2002). Production of fumonisin analogs by Fusarium species. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 68(5), 2101–2105. SPSS. (2012). SPSS for Windows version 20, SPSS: Chicago, IL, USA. Tóth, Á. et al. (2000). Effect of low doses of the mycotoxin fumonisin B1 on the body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion rate of pigs. Agriculture, 6, 149–151. Â

Effect of the supplementation of olive leaves and olive cake on growth performance and bone mineralisation of broiler chickens

Effect of the supplementation of olive leaves and olive cake on growth performance and bone mineralisation of broiler chickens

The Immunological Reactivity of Turkeys of Different Genotypes on the Action of Environmental Factors

The Immunological Reactivity of Turkeys of Different Genotypes on the Action of Environmental Factors

Quantifying the spatial risk of Avian Influenza introduction into British poultry by wild birds

The transmission of pathogens across the interface between wildlife and livestock presents a challenge to the development of effective surveillance and control measures. Wild birds, especially waterbirds such as the Anseriformes and Charadriiformes are considered to be the natural hosts of Avian Influenza (AI), and are presumed to pose one of the most likely vectors for incursion of AI into European poultry flocks. We have developed a generic quantitative risk map, derived from the classical epidemiological risk equation, to describe the relative, spatial risk of disease incursion into poultry flocks via wild birds. We then assessed the risk for AI incursion into British flocks. The risk map suggests that the majority of AI incursion risk is highly clustered within certain areas of Britain, including in the east, the south west and the coastal north-west of England. The clustering of high risk areas concentrates total risk in a relatively small land area; the top 33% of cells contribute over 80% of total incursion risk. This suggests that targeted risk-based sampling in a relatively small geographical area could be a much more effective and cost-efficient approach than representative sampling. The generic nature of the risk map method, allows rapid updating and application to other diseases transmissible between wild birds and poultry.

The Influence of Welfare Training on Bird Welfare and Carcass Quality in Two Commercial Poultry Primary Processing Plants.

Simple SummaryEnsuring acceptable welfare of broilers at the slaughterhouse is paramount in meeting legislative and retailer specifications, and in producing high quality meat. Animal welfare training for staff working in red meat slaughterhouses has been shown to improve animal welfare measures and product quality, however there is little evidence of the effects of welfare training in poultry processing plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of introducing a welfare training program for staff on bird welfare and carcass quality in a commercial Costa Rican and British poultry slaughter plant. The results we obtained show that staff welfare training has a positive effect on several bird welfare outcomes. Some carcass quality measures also improved post training, although this result was not consistent. These data could help the development and targeting of future welfare training courses and encourage the uptake of welfare training in the poultry slaughter industry.The number of broilers slaughtered globally is increasing. Ensuring acceptable welfare conditions for birds at the time of slaughter is paramount in meeting legislative and retailer specifications, and in producing high quality meat. There is knowledge that welfare training programs for members of the farming and red meat slaughter industry can improve animal welfare measures and product quality, however there is little evidence of the effects of welfare training in poultry processing plants. In our study, a comprehensive welfare training program was introduced to a Costa Rican and a British commercial broiler primary processing plant, both of which slaughter birds by way of neck cut post electrical water bath stunning. The effects of this program on some welfare and product quality measures were investigated, both immediately and six months post training. The welfare measures that showed significant improvements post training included; flapping at shackling, pre-stun shocks, stun parameters and effective neck cut. Product quality measures including broken wings and red pygostyles also improved, however the positive effect of training was not seen in all quality measures. Welfare training does have the potential to improve broiler welfare and product quality at slaughter, and these data could help the development and targeting of future welfare training courses and encourage the uptake of welfare training in the poultry slaughter industry.

Editorial and News

Editorial and News

Systematic review of the effect of perch height on keel bone fractures, deformation and injuries, bone strength, foot lesions and perching behavior

This report provides a summary of four systematic reviews on the impact of perch height on laying hen keel bone fractures, deformation and injuries, bone strength, foot lesions and perching behavior. After conducting a scoping review and identifying outcomes of interest, the review protocols were developed. An extensive literature search was conducted in information sources such as CABI, PUBMED and relevant conference proceedings. 1518 abstracts were assessed for relevance and 9 studies reported perch use and 1 reported keel injuries. No studies reported summary effect sizes; therefore it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis. In lieu of a formal meta-analysis, a descriptive analysis was conducted, which plotted reported perch height against metrics of perch use. This descriptive analysis was not able to account for lack of independence, differences in sample size and other importance sources of heterogeneity such as cage height. The descriptive analysis suggested a positive association with metrics that measured perch use and height, i.e., increased usage was associated with increased height. © European Food Safety Authority, 2015

A metapopulation model for highly pathogenic avian influenza: implications for compartmentalization as a control measure

Although the compartmentalization of poultry industry components has substantial economic implications, and is therefore a concept with huge significance to poultry industries worldwide, the current requirements for compartment status are generic to all OIE member countries. We examined the consequences for potential outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the British poultry industry using a metapopulation modelling framework. This framework was used to assess the effectiveness of compartmentalization relative to zoning control, utilizing empirical data to inform the structure of potential epidemiological contacts within the British poultry industry via network links and spatial proximity. Conditions were identified where, despite the efficient isolation of poultry compartments through the removal of network-mediated links, spatially mediated airborne spread enabled spillover of infection with nearby premises making compartmentalization a more 'risky' option than zoning control. However, when zoning control did not effectively inhibit long-distance network links, compartmentalization became a relatively more effective control measure than zoning. With better knowledge of likely distance ranges for airborne spread, our approach could help define an appropriate minimum inter-farm distance to provide more specific guidelines for compartmentalization in Great Britain.

Implications of within-farm transmission for network dynamics: Consequences for the spread of avian influenza

The importance of considering coupled interactions across multiple population scales has not previously been studied for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the British commercial poultry industry. By simulating the within-flock transmission of HPAI using a deterministic S-E-I-R model, and by incorporating an additional environmental class representing infectious faeces, we tracked the build-up of infectious faeces within a poultry house over time. A measure of the transmission risk (TR) was computed for each farm by linking the amount of infectious faeces present each day of an outbreak with data describing the daily on-farm visit schedules for a major British catching company. Larger flocks tended to have greater levels of these catching-team visits. However, where density-dependent contact was assumed, faster outbreak detection (according to an assumed mortality threshold) led to a decreased opportunity for catching-team visits to coincide with an outbreak. For this reason, maximum TR-levels were found for mid-range flock sizes (~25,000–35,000 birds). When assessing all factors simultaneously using multivariable linear regression on the simulated outputs, those related to the pattern of catching-team visits had the largest effect on TR, with the most important movement-related factor depending on the mode of transmission. Using social network analysis on a further database to inform a measure of between-farm connectivity, we identified a large fraction of farms (28%) that had both a high TR and a high potential impact at the between farm level. Our results have counter-intuitive implications for between-farm spread that could not be predicted based on flock size alone, and together with further knowledge of the relative importance of transmission risk and impact, could have implications for improved targeting of control measures.

The nutritive value of maize cultivars for broiler chickens

1. In vitro and in vivo assessment of the effect of initial moisture content and drying temperature on the feeding value of maize grain F. Huart, P. Malumba, S. Odjo, W. Al-Izzi, F. Béra, Y. Beckers British Poultry Science CrossRef

Enhancing Bayesian risk prediction for epidemics using contact tracing

Contact-tracing data (CTD) collected from disease outbreaks has received relatively little attention in the epidemic modeling literature because it is thought to be unreliable: infection sources might be wrongly attributed, or data might be missing due to resource constraints in the questionnaire exercise. Nevertheless, these data might provide a rich source of information on the disease transmission rate. This paper presents a novel methodology for combining CTD with rate-based contact network data to improve posterior precision, and therefore predictive accuracy. We present an advancement in Bayesian inference for epidemics that assimilates these data and is robust to partial contact tracing. Using a simulation study based on the British poultry industry, we show how the presence of CTD improves posterior predictive accuracy and can directly inform a more effective control strategy.

A century of poultry genetics

The 20th Century saw an astonishing advance in our understanding of genetics and the scientific basis of the genetic improvement of farm animals. The application of genetic principles to chickens in the 1950s and 1960s led to a rapid change in the productivity and efficiency of laying hens and broiler chickens, turkeys and ducks. Subsequently, the application of increasingly powerful computers and sophisticated mathematical algorithms has increased the range of traits that could be successfully incorporated into breeding programs. Random sample tests of the performance of laying hens enjoyed a period of popularity and more recently the few remaining tests included husbandry systems in addition to strain evaluation. Characterisation of avian blood groups has led to the identification of the B21 haplotype that confers resistance to Marek's disease and to selection for this locus in commercial lines. The decade following the millennium saw the publication of the genome sequence of the chicken and the identification of millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms that, coupled with technological advances, made the application of whole genome selection practical in poultry. In parallel, the molecular basis for some Mendelian traits described a century ago is now being deciphered. Similar technologies have been applied to study genetic diversity in chickens and have provided insights into the evolution and domestication of chicken breeds. Finally, in this review, the recent development of the European Poultry Genetics Symposia coordinated by Working Group 3 ‘Genetics and Breeding’ that was based on combining the British Poultry Breeders Round Table and AVIAGEN from West and Eastern Europe, is discussed.

Enzymes in Tenderization of Meat – The System of Calpains and Other Systems

2. The normalisation ofCAPNgene expression inM. pectoralis superficialisin broiler lines differing in growth rate and their relationship to breast muscle tenderness K. Piórkowska, J. Nowak, K. Połtowicz British Poultry Science CrossRef