Genetic Variability in Growth Response of Chicks to Cold Brooding Temperature

Genetic variability in adaptation to brooding at a reduced temperature was examined by comparing 1 to 14-day body weight gains of progeny from 28 sire families of the Athens-Canadian randombred population brooded at 32.2 C and at 26.7 C. The 1 to 7-day gain of the chicks brooded at 26.7 C was significantly depressed, but 7 to 14-day gain was not significantly depressed by brooding at the reduced temperature. Heritability estimates averaged over the two trials were .31, .23, and .35 for the 1 to 7-, 7 to 14-, and 1 to 14-day weight gains of groups brooded at 32.2 C and .55, .59, and .67 for the gain of groups brooded at 26.7 C. The heritability estimates for the difference in weight gain of families brooded at the two temperatures was .78.