Lessons for the poultry industry gleaned from experiences with other commodity species

Abstract

Do breeders really know how well or poorly they are managing reproduction? Poultry breeders could benefit from application of proven concepts of reproductive management used to exploit elite mammalian males, via selection for reproductive traits and extensive use of AI. Use of elite males could dramatically increase the impact of genes of economic importance transferred to the producer level. Testes weight has up to a 35-fold range among males within most lines of poultry, as does number of sperm that can be harvested from a male. These observations should not be ignored. Males with small testes will provide few sperm and they should be culled. Similarly, identification and elimination of males whose sperm are likely to have low fertilizing potential should be beneficial. Approaches to maximize harvest of those sperm produced by an elite male and minimize wastage of these valuable cells are emphasized. To this end, semen should be extended to allow insemination of a minimal volume containing just sufficient sperm consistent with the breeder's goal. Presumably, the goal should be obtaining the maximum number of offspring from a unique male or great-grandparent family, while minimizing cost of producing each chick. This goal might not require maximizing "fertility". A 10-fold increase in dissemination of DNA from elite males to the next generation is realistic. Over three generations, this increase equals a 1,000-fold increase in the number of birds with the desirable traits! Appropriate biotechnology is available. Will decision makers evaluate new (to them) approaches and progress into the next millennium using modern technology, when cost-effective, or will they continue to manage reproduction with methods more than 50 yr old? Those who choose the latter path may risk extinction.