Microsatellite genotypes of sire influence early layer economic traits and mortality in Rhode Island Red chicken

Microsatellite is the kind of genetic marker of choice for analyzing genetic variability in a population of livestock and poultry. In the present investigation the influence of genotype of sire at ADL0176 microsatellite locus on early layer economic traits was assessed in Rhode Island Red chicken. A total number of 114 birds (86 females and 28 males) were genotyped for ADL0176 microsatellite and after genotyping, 11 males belonging to BB, CC and DD homozygous genotypes were selected and four females were assigned to each of these males and mated through artificial insemination. Two-hundred eighty-six chicks were obtained in four hatches from 462 eggs and their early layer economic traits viz., chick weight (CW), body weight at 16(BW16) and 20(BW20) weeks, age at sexual maturity (ASM), egg weight at 28 weeks (EW28) and egg production up to 28 weeks (EP28) were recorded. The percent fertility, percent hatchability on total egg set and total egg transferred basis were 71.62, 52.81 and 69.07%, respectively. Least squares ANOVA revealed significant effect (PdH0.05) of genotype of sire at ADL0176 microsatellite locus on chick weight and EP28. The overall least squares means of CW, BW16, BW20, ASM, EW28 and EP28 were 36.29±1.26 g, 1352.92±63.00 g, 1631.06±59.97 g, 134.43±3.56 days, 44.55±1.09 g and 35.99±3.35 eggs, respectively. Highest chick weight (38.80±3.45 g) was observed in the progeny of sire having BB genotype followed by sire having CC genotype (36.92±1.02 g) at ADL0176 microsatellite locus, although the difference between progenies of BB and CC sires was statistically not significant. The EP28 was highest (43.94±9.18 eggs) in the progeny of sires having BB genotype followed by the progeny of sires having DD genotype (36.60±2.90 eggs). The sires genotype at ADL0176-wise percent mortalities in two periods viz., 0–16 and 17–28 weeks of age revealed least mortality in the progeny of DD sire genotypein both the periods as compared to progeny from CC and BB sire genotypes. Progenies from sire of BB genotype revealed highest mortality. This investigation provided evidence of utilizing microsatellite based genotyping of sires and influence of sires’ genotypes on chick weight and egg production up to 28 weeks of age thereby suggesting their possible use in Marker Assisted Selection in chicken.