Relationship between broiler chicken haematocrit-selected parents and their progeny, with regard to haematocrit, mortality from ascites and bodyweight.

Abstract A previous work of this group demonstrated that the relative haematocrit value of broilers is inherited and may serve as an indicator to susceptibility to the ascites syndrome in cold-stressed broilers. In this study, a full-pedigreed population was produced from male and female grandparent breeding stock that was selected by haematocrit and by normal selection parameters. Matings were made between low (L), medium (M) and high (H) haematocrit parents: L × L, M × M, and H × H. In their progeny, both before and after cold exposure, there was a statistically linear relationship between actual haematocrit and their H, M and L grouping (P