Genetics of heat tolerance and thyroid function in Athens-Canadian randombred chickens

Five experiments were conducted to assess the genetic variation in thyroid function (T3, T4), body weight and heat stress survival time in chickens. Thyroxine (T4) levels were found to be elevated in response to 4 and 8 μg bovine thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in experiment I. In experiment II, 4 μg of TSH was injected into chickens from 30 sire families of the Athens-Canadian Randombred population. The heritability of T4 levels after TSH injection was high. In experiment III, families identified as having innate high or low T4 levels after TSH injection and a group of control birds were subjected to a heat Stressor of 50 °C for up to 240 min at six weeks of age and heat stress survival time was studied. The groups did not differ from each other in heat stress survival time. Experiment IV was similar to experiment I except triiodothyronine (T3) was also measured after TSH injection. Both T4 and T3 levels after TSH injection were moderately heritable. In experiment V birds were reared to six weeks of age and heritability calculated for body weight, T4, T3, and heat stress survival time. Heritabilities were high for body weight, moderate for T4 and heat stress survival time, and low for T3. Phenotypic correlations were significant and negative for heat stress survival time with body weight and T4, and for body weight with T3 after TSH. Significant positive correlations were found for T4 with T3 after TSH and also T4 and body weight. Analysis of genetic correlations suggested that none of the traits studied would be an adequate selection parameter for achieving heat tolerance without reducing body weight.