Efficiency of selection of maternal lines of Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds in the Smena breeding center

Relevance . Improving the breeding and productive qualities of poultry is possible by improving existing lines, developing new lines and creating crosses of poultry with high genetic potential, realizing this potential in regions with different climatic and economic conditions. Methods . A scientific study was conducted to assess the economically significant traits of the maternal lines of the Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds in the process of targeted selection in the production conditions of the “Smena” breeding and genetic center. Results. Targeted selection work with the initial lines for live weight of young animals at an early age allowed to increase this indicator at the age of 35 days in the Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds in cockerels by 16.7% and 23.2%, hens — 15.2% and 21.5%. Over 5 generations of selection of poultry of maternal lines of both the Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds, the muscling of the breast was improved by 5.1–3.2%, the muscling of the legs — by 2.5–5.8%, respectively, for the breeds. In the process of selection work with meat hens of the maternal lines of the Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds, an increase in egg production was noted both for 30 and 52 weeks of life by 2.5–8.9%, the yield of hatching eggs — by 1.2–2.1%. At the age of 30 weeks, the hatchability of eggs from hens of the maternal lines of the Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds was within the range of 83.8% (Cornish) — 85.6% (Plymouth Rock). The results of the studies showed that the productivity of the maternal lines of the Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds of the “Smena 9” cross is high.