Quantitative Determination and Segregation of Breast Conformation in Poultry

SUPERIOR body conformation in market poultry is eminently dependent on the full rounded shape of the breast. Bird (1945) evolved a technic for progeny testing turkeys on the basis of the measured roundness of the breast. The purpose of the present communication is to demonstrate the valid applicability of this method to chickens. The roundness of a bird’s breast may be defined as the width across the breast when the measurement is secured at the anatomical level at which the curvature of the pectoral profile is most acutely expressed. This critical level is encountered about one fifth of the total depth from the crest of the keel in the direction towards the spinal column. Since a very round but small bird may, in fact, have a smaller width than a large but sharp-breasted specimen the measured breast width must be expressed relative to the size of each individual specimen. This . . .