Industrial chickens missing genes, according to pioneer study

William Atkins
Monday, 17 November 2008 21:16

Science - Biology

The researchers conclude, “This is the first experimental analysis investigating the extant genetic diversity of virtually an entire agricultural commodity."

"The methods presented are the first to characterize biodiversity in terms of allelic diversity and to objectively link rate of allele loss with the inbreeding coefficient.”

They suggest that commercial chickens should be interbred with these wild species to help protect these factory birds from diseases such as avian flu.

Muir states, "We suggest interbreeding some experimental commercial poultry lines with native or standard breeds as a backup plan, or ace in the hole, to help the industry meet future challenges, as traits such as disease resistance may be found among the rare alleles of other birds.” [PhysOrg.com]

The PhysOrg.com article concludes by relating what Dr. Muir suggests: “He said companies could use this technique to select for important parts of the DNA of donor birds from the standard or ancestral breeds and integrate those into commercial lines without dragging bad DNA into industrial populations."

"The approach selects breeding poultry based on specific traits such as bone density, animal well-being, feed efficiency and disease resistance.”

To learn more about poultry, go to The Poultry Guide and the Chicken Crossing.