Mapping of quantitative trait loci for body weight at three, six, and nine weeks of age in a broiler layer cross

An F-2 chicken population was established from a cross of a broiler sire-line and an egg laying (White Leghorn) line. There were two males and two females from both lines in the base population. The F-1 progeny consisted of 8 males and 32 females. Over 500 F-2 offspring from five hatches were reared to slaughter at a live weight of 2 kg at 9 wk of age. Body weights at 3, 6, and 9 wk were recorded. The DNA was extracted from blood samples, and genotypes for 101 microsatellite markers were determined. Data of 466 individuals from 30 families were available for analysis. Interval mapping QTL analyses were carried out. The QTL significant at the genome wide level that affected body weight at two ages were identified on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8 and a QTL on Chromosome 13 influenced body weight at all three ages. Genetic effects were generally additive, and the broiler allele increased body weight in all cases. The effects for significant individual QTL accounted for between 0.2 and 1.0 phenotypic standard deviations and the sum of the additive effects accounted for approximately 0.75 of the line difference in body weight at 6 wk of age. The largest single additive effect was on chromosome 4, and the effect of substituting one copy of the gene was an increase in weight of 249 g. Interactions of the QTL with sex or family were unimportant. There was no evidence for imprinting or of two or more QTL at the same location for any of the traits.