Genetic progress in the poultry industry

R.M. GODS Department of Animal Science and Poultry Science, University of Natal, P.O. Box 375, Pietermaritzburg, 3200 Republic of South Africa Since poultry breeding started in earnest over 50 years ago there have been considerable environmental changes in the industry, some beneficial (improved disease control, housing, nutrition, lighting) and some deleterious (increased stocking rates, larger populations), which make it difficult to determine the relative contributions of breeding and management when assessing the improvements that have been made in the poultry industry during this time. This difficulty has been addressed by, among many others, Clayton (1968), Dickerson (1970) and Manson (1972). Clearly, breeding and management must be improved simultaneously. By increasing nutrient supply to laying hens the apparent plateau in egg numbers among some stocks would disappear; in vaccinating birds against debilitating diseases the laying hen or broiler would be more capable of expressing its genetic potential. Similarly, considering the tremendous improvements in management, housing, disease control, etc. there is now more potential for detecting the best genotypes. Also, due to advances in processing, transportation, and marketing techniques there is an increasing demand for poultry products world-wide, which has intensified the incentive of poultry geneticists to improve their product and have a greater range of genetic stocks available to supply the different and changing demands of poultry producers around the world.