Selection against abdominal fat percentage may increase intramuscular fat content in broilers

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Genetics
• Poultry Breeding

Background:

• Excessive abdominal fat content (AFC) negatively impacts broiler feed efficiency and carcass quality.
• Intramuscular fat content (IMFC) is a favorable trait positively influencing meat quality.
• Simultaneously decreasing AFC and improving IMFC is a key goal in broiler breeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the relationship between AFC and IMFC in broiler lines.
• Compare IMFC (pectoral and leg muscle) between lines divergently selected for abdominal fat percentage.
• Evaluate the potential for genetic selection to achieve desired fat content profiles.

Main Methods:

• Divergent selection for abdominal fat percentage over 17 generations.
• Comparison of AFC, Pectoral Major Muscle Fat Content (PIMFC), Intramuscular Fat Content of Leg Muscle (LIMFC), and Liver Fat Content (LFC) between selected lines.
• Statistical analysis of fat content differences across five generation populations.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in PIMFC and LIMFC were observed between the lean and fat lines across all generations.
• The lean line exhibited significantly lower AFC but higher PIMFC and LIMFC compared to the fat line.
• The fat line showed significantly higher LFC than the lean line.

Conclusions:

• Genetic selection can effectively produce broiler lines with reduced AFC and enhanced IMFC.
• Divergent selection for abdominal fat percentage influences both AFC and IMFC, offering a strategy for improving meat quality traits.
• The findings support the development of broiler strains with a desirable balance of fat deposition for both breeder and consumer benefit.