Despite the genetic potential of poultry improving at a staggering rate in recent decades, environmental factors have a larger bearing on the performance of birds than genetics.
“If it came down to 100% genetics, it would be very easy,” Alan Thompson from Aviagen told a recent poultry event in Cookstown, Co Tyrone.
Aviagen is a global poultry breeding company and Thompson is general manager of its UK operation.
A broiler from half a century ago is unrecognisable when compared to the birds of today
Speaking at the NI poultry industry conference, Thompson presented figures which showed that genetics accounts for 30% of broiler performance in bodyweight, with the remaining 70% down to environmental factors, such as health, nutrition and management.
Likewise, genetics accounts for only 5% of performance with mortality rate, 25% in feed convergence ratio and 32% in meat yield.
A broiler from half a century ago is unrecognisable when compared to the birds of today. In 1972, a 35-day-old broiler weighed 1.1kg, whereas broilers are hitting 2.2kg by five weeks of age now.
Thompson said that it would take a broiler 56 days to hit 2.2kg in 1972 and improvements similar to weight gain have been seen in feed convergence ratio over the past 50 years.
Broilers are typically hitting 2.2kg by five weeks of age. \ Philip Doyle
However, he acknowledged that improvements in genetic potential ultimately make it more important for farmers to get environmental factors right.
“Year on year, birds have got more efficient, but that potentially makes them more difficult to manage,” he said.
Four-year wait
Thompson said that pedigree selection currently taking place at Aviagen will not feature in end product broilers until 2023. Similarly, birds on broiler units today are from pedigree lines selected in 2015.
The Aviagen boss said that poultry breeders in the 1960s simply selected the heaviest birds for breeding, but the process is much more complex now.
Genomics has been another huge improvement for us
Genetic companies select for 40 different traits when developing pedigree lines.
These include skeletal integrity, cardiovascular fitness, feed conversion, growth profile, immune response, liveweight and hatchability.
“Genomics has been another huge improvement for us. We have been using it since 2013. It makes accuracy and selection much more efficient,” Thompson said.
During a question session, the Aviagen boss was asked about concerns from some animal welfare campaigners about growth rates of modern broilers.
Thompson said that this was an issue in the Netherlands where campaigners put pressure on the poultry sector which led to the introduction of slower growing birds.
“It suggests that [fast-growing] birds are compromised on welfare. Fundamentally, I don’t think that is true,” he said.
Thompson said that poultry breeders needed to continue to use selection criteria to supply birds that can maintain rates of progress in welfare and efficient economic traits.
He said that there was an onus on farmers and growers to manage and optimise increasingly complex, feed efficient animals.
The Aviagen boss also said that it was up to the entire industry to educate the public and promote poultry products.
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Despite the genetic potential of poultry improving at a staggering rate in recent decades, environmental factors have a larger bearing on the performance of birds than genetics.
“If it came down to 100% genetics, it would be very easy,” Alan Thompson from Aviagen told a recent poultry event in Cookstown, Co Tyrone.
Aviagen is a global poultry breeding company and Thompson is general manager of its UK operation.
A broiler from half a century ago is unrecognisable when compared to the birds of today
Speaking at the NI poultry industry conference, Thompson presented figures which showed that genetics accounts for 30% of broiler performance in bodyweight, with the remaining 70% down to environmental factors, such as health, nutrition and management.
Likewise, genetics accounts for only 5% of performance with mortality rate, 25% in feed convergence ratio and 32% in meat yield.
A broiler from half a century ago is unrecognisable when compared to the birds of today. In 1972, a 35-day-old broiler weighed 1.1kg, whereas broilers are hitting 2.2kg by five weeks of age now.
Thompson said that it would take a broiler 56 days to hit 2.2kg in 1972 and improvements similar to weight gain have been seen in feed convergence ratio over the past 50 years.
Broilers are typically hitting 2.2kg by five weeks of age. \ Philip Doyle
However, he acknowledged that improvements in genetic potential ultimately make it more important for farmers to get environmental factors right.
“Year on year, birds have got more efficient, but that potentially makes them more difficult to manage,” he said.
Four-year wait
Thompson said that pedigree selection currently taking place at Aviagen will not feature in end product broilers until 2023. Similarly, birds on broiler units today are from pedigree lines selected in 2015.
The Aviagen boss said that poultry breeders in the 1960s simply selected the heaviest birds for breeding, but the process is much more complex now.
Genomics has been another huge improvement for us
Genetic companies select for 40 different traits when developing pedigree lines.
These include skeletal integrity, cardiovascular fitness, feed conversion, growth profile, immune response, liveweight and hatchability.
“Genomics has been another huge improvement for us. We have been using it since 2013. It makes accuracy and selection much more efficient,” Thompson said.
During a question session, the Aviagen boss was asked about concerns from some animal welfare campaigners about growth rates of modern broilers.
Thompson said that this was an issue in the Netherlands where campaigners put pressure on the poultry sector which led to the introduction of slower growing birds.
“It suggests that [fast-growing] birds are compromised on welfare. Fundamentally, I don’t think that is true,” he said.
Thompson said that poultry breeders needed to continue to use selection criteria to supply birds that can maintain rates of progress in welfare and efficient economic traits.
He said that there was an onus on farmers and growers to manage and optimise increasingly complex, feed efficient animals.
The Aviagen boss also said that it was up to the entire industry to educate the public and promote poultry products.
Read more
NI's chief vet on the possible impact of Johnson’s deal
Cheap import concerns in UK egg sector
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