Evolutions in Commercial Meat Poultry Breeding

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Poultry meat is an affordable, lean source of animal protein. Where does it come from? Broilers (meat chickens) or turkeys raised on farms stem from core breeding families, which are crossed to generate commercial hybrids. It takes around four years for the birds from the core families to the birds on the farms. Over time, poultry breeding has developed from primarily looking at production (e.g., live weight and egg production) to balanced, holistic breeding, including a wide range of attributes (e.g., gait, leg health, robustness and cardiovascular health). All birds in the core breeding families are carefully measured for over forty items covering bird health and welfare, robustness, environmental impact, reproduction and production. Modern poultry breeding aims for the holistic improvement of all the traits included in a broad and balanced breeding goal. New and improved selection techniques and analytical tools are continuously developed to allow increases in the accuracy of selection’s long-term progress. There are different broiler and turkey genotypes for different market requirements, and commercial portfolios will continue evolving with future markets and customer preferences. ABSTRACT: This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the history of commercial poultry breeding, from domestication to the development of science and commercial breeding structures. The development of breeding goals over time, from mainly focusing on production to broad goals, including bird welfare and health, robustness, environmental impact, biological efficiency and reproduction, is detailed. The paper outlines current breeding goals, including traits (e.g., on foot and leg health, contact dermatitis, gait, cardiovascular health, robustness and livability), recording techniques, their genetic basis and how trait these antagonisms, for example, between welfare and production, are managed. Novel areas like genomic selection and gut health research and their current and potential impact on breeding are highlighted. The environmental impact differences of various genotypes are explained. A future outlook shows that balanced, holistic breeding will continue to enable affordable lean animal protein to feed the world, with a focus on the welfare of the birds and a diversity of choice for the various preferences and cultures across the world.