Parental effects on performance of broiler chicken progenies

Mortality among broiler progeny from a meat-type parent population, consisting of four maternal genotypes (two normal and two dwarf) mated with two normal paternal genotypes (White and Gold) and fed three different breeder diets was not significantly (P greater than .05) affected by genotypes or parental dietary treatments. Body weights of male and female progenies from matings with White males were significantly (P less than .05) heavier at both 21 and 42 days than those sired by Gold males but progeny sired by Gold males exhibited the best feed conversion. The progeny from normal hens were heavier, had a better feed conversion up to 21 days, and yielded higher monetary returns than those from dwarf hens. Parental diets had no significant effect on progeny weights, feed conversion, or monetary returns. A low magnitude first-order interaction, involving paternal and maternal genotypes, occurred for feed conversion and monetary returns.