Response and inbreeding from a genomic selection experiment in layer chickens

Area of Science:

• Animal breeding and genetics
• Quantitative genetics
• Poultry science

Background:

• Genomic selection (GS) utilizes dense marker data for estimated breeding values (GS-EBV), offering a powerful tool for genetic improvement.
• A simulation study explored GS for optimizing layer chicken breeding programs, focusing on sex-limited traits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of GS in accelerating genetic gain while managing inbreeding rates in layer chickens.
• To compare GS with conventional phenotypic selection in a real-world layer chicken population.

Main Methods:

• Simulations aimed to double selection response by halving the generation interval, maintaining inbreeding rates.
• Implemented a multi-trait GS strategy in brown egg-laying hens, comparing a GS sub-line with a conventionally selected sub-line over 3 years.

Main Results:

• GS significantly outperformed conventional selection for 13 out of 16 traits.
• GS required substantially fewer birds (75% less) and phenotyped individuals (82% less).
• Realized inbreeding was higher in the GS line than the conventional line, despite design parity.

Conclusions:

• Genomic selection presents a viable and promising alternative to conventional breeding strategies for enhancing genetic improvement in layer chickens.
• Further research may be needed to precisely control inbreeding rates under GS.