Abstract

Multiple novel endogenous retroviral inserts have been identified within commercially utilized white eggshell and brown eggshell layer lines. Rapid detection assays specific to each ALVE were developed utilizing both the unique chicken genome flanking sequences and the identified unique retroviral sequences. Using an extensive DNA bank of multiple generations of males with production trait performance information from their daughters, association studies were performed based on the presence/absence of these ALVE loci. Multiple associations between specific ALVE inserts and egg weight or yolk size were found. These associations were not found for all lines, and they were not always in the same direction.

Andrew Mason, Anna Wolc, Jesus Arango, Petek Settar, Ashlee Lund, Dave W Burt, Janet E Fulton

Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Volume Species - Avian 1, , 59, 2018