Growth related traits in body weight selected lines and their crosses reared under different nutritional regimens

1. Four populations--two that had undergone 37 generations of selection for high (HH) and low (LL) body weight, and reciprocal crosses between them (HL and LH) were fed two diets differing in protein and energy. Diet A, under which selection had been made, contained 200 g protein and 11.23 MJ/kg. Diet E contained 240 g protein and 13.16 MJ/kg. 2. Body weight and feed efficiency were measured weekly from hatch to 56 d of age at which time oesophagus, abdominal fat pad, heart, liver and lungs were removed and weighed. At 35 d of age chicks were inoculated with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) and antibody titre was measured 6 d later. 3. Chicks fed diet E were heavier than those fed diet A. HH chicks were heavier than LL chicks with HL and LH chicks intermediate to the parental lines. LH chicks were heavier than HL ones reflecting large maternal effects. 4. Food efficiencies among stocks and diets were consistent with those for body weight, with HH > LH > HL > LL and E > A. Relative differences between diets were similar across ages and heterosis for food efficiency was about 15%. 5. Relative to body weight, oesophagus and liver weights were heavier in chickens fed diet A than fed diet E. The pattern reversed for abdominal fat pad. 6. Antibody to SRBC antigen was greater in the crosses than in line HH and in cross HL than line LL, with heterosis of 70%.