DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID FINGERPRINT BANDS LINKED TO LOCI CODING FOR QUANTITATIVE TRAITS IN CHICKENS

Efficacy of DNA fingerprint (DFP) bands in marker-assisted selection programs for quantitative traits in chickens was evaluated. A cross between two populations of White Plymouth Rock chickens that had been selected for 31 generations for high (HW) or low (LW) 8-wk body weight served as the base population for the experiment. Full- and half-sib families were produced over four generations and 400 offspring were measured for body weight at 8 wk (BW8) and shank length at 12 wk of age (SL12). Distributions were constructed for each quantitative trait in offspring of one F1 sire. The DFP produced from mixed blood of the individuals within each tail of the distribution were compared. From a total of 13 DFP bands that were disparate in intensity between the tails, four bands were chosen for analysis. Matings were made between males and females based on the presence or absence of these bands, but were limited to individuals that were within.5 standard deviation of the mean for the distribution of a particular trait. Quantitative traits of the resulting progeny were analyzed to determine whether parental type (presence or absence of the DFP band) influenced expression of the trait in the offspring. One band out of the four tested was associated with SL12, was an effective predictor of phenotype for both SL12 and BW8, and appeared to be inherited in a dominant fashion.