Survey of egg quality in commercially available table eggs.

Increased demand in consumer choice has resulted in a wide variety of egg selection available in the retail market. Specialty and designer chicken eggs represent a portion of the table egg market that is increasing in size. Egg quality is known to be of great importance in all eggs as it relates to food safety, consumer preferences, and product value.

Assessing MHC-B diversity in Silkie chickens.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a highly polymorphic region on chromosome 16, which contains numerous immune response genes, and is known to influence disease susceptibility and resistance in chickens. Variability of MHC-B haplotypes in various well-known and commercially utilized breeds has previously been identified. This study aims to understand MHC-B diversity in the Silkie breed using a high-density SNP panel that encompasses the chicken MHC-B region.

Research Note: Stocking density effects on production qualities of broilers raised without the use of antibiotics.

In no antibiotics ever (NAE) broilers, enteric diseases pose a threat to intestinal health and generally welfare, which can be exacerbated because of stocking density. Through knowledge of litter condition and management, disease can be minimized, and broiler welfare can be improved. To evaluate how stocking density influences NAE broilers raised in conventional housing, we evaluated production traits for broilers raised at two stocking densities within a single commercial house.

Predicting ascites incidence in a simulated altitude-challenge using single nucleotide polymorphisms identified in multi-generational genome wide association studies.

Assessing pedigreed broiler lines for ascites resistance in an industry setting is time consuming. Further, the use of sibling selection implies study subjects are not used in the breeding program, and instead, siblings take their place in pedigree systems, which reduces overall genetic accuracy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of prediction models produced with SNP with the goal of predicting ascites incidence.

Whole genome resequencing identifies the CPQ gene as a determinant of ascites syndrome in broilers.

Background: Ascites syndrome is the most severe manifestation of pulmonary hypertension in fast-growing broilers. The disease can be attributed to increased body weights of birds, where the higher metabolic load is not matched by sufficient oxygen supply to the cells and tissues. Although there are environmental components, the disease exhibits moderate to high heritability.

Effects of a chromosome 9 quantitative trait locus for ascites on economically important traits in broilers.

A quantitative trait locus on chromosome 9 was previously shown to be associated with ascites in multiple experimental and commercial populations. A study to evaluate the association of the QTL, based on variable number tandem repeat genotypes, with economically important traits was carried out on a commercial male elite line. Results indicated the highest fat and the lowest fillet mean were associated with the most resistant ascites genotype.