The Association of the A, B and E Parental Blood Group System Genotypes with Fertility and Hatchability in Chickens

Abstract

S ELECTIVE advantages for fertility was mated to several females by artificial and hatchability of different chicken insemination. Eggs were collected for a two blood group loci have been reported for several populations. The significant associations of these red blood cell antigens on fertility were found for the B (Allen, 1962) and L (De Silva, 1965) loci. Analysis of hatchability data revealed that heterozygous parents, whether sires or dams, generally out performed the homozygotes (Briles, 1953(Briles, , 1954Briles and Krueger, 1955;Fanguy et al., 1961). The present study is to record further evidence of the associations of blood group genotypes at the B locus, and new evidence for the A and E loci on the above mentioned traits in the parents, based on their blood type. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two inbred lines of Single Comb WhiteLeghorns, the Ml-L (large egg size) and Ml-S (small egg size), were utilized in this study. These lines were derived from a common line, called Ml, and selected for five generations in order to obtain large and small egg size birds. Individuals of the 1965 and 1966 generations were blood typed with reagents for the A, B and E blood group systems. In order to avoid any influence of preferential mating one male