Details of the project EPI

Improvements to the Polish population of laying hens with the use of innovative IT and biotechnological solutions

21-04-2021 do 31-10-2023

3 211 564,20

EFRROW; national public funds

www.gendrob.pl

The main goal of the project is to improve the genetic makeup of Polish laying hens so that Polish breeders can remain competitive on the domestic and foreign markets. The Zarodowa Fermie Kur Rszew has five populations - families. There are approximately 9,500 individually marked birds on which breeding work (selection) is carried out. This goal will be achieved through the development of specific goals, including the development of prototype solutions for a new IT system supporting breeding of hens. The new IT tool should implement the newer BLUP method - an animal model for assessing the genetic value of poultry, taking into account a wider range of performance traits with the possibility of defining economic weights at the level of estimating the total breeding value. In addition, the system should provide the user with inbreeding control. This will be helpful in the process of creating selection flocks where both the total breeding value, the degree of kinship of the individuals a

The leading result of comprehensive, systemic activities under the project will be the improvement of Polish families of laying hens used in the creation of breeding sets, mainly through the development and implementation of an innovative IT system cooperating with the created original measuring stations. The results of a complex project contributing to the development of innovative solutions are: • Development and implementation of an innovative IT system, allowing for a more accurate assessment of the breeding value by implementing the BLUP method. • Development and implementation of an original method of semen cooling and dilution, useful and justified from the perspective of introducing insemination, necessary for full control of the origin of the chicks. • Introducing a more complete support mechanism for the process of creating selection flocks (taking into account all functional features and their weights, and the degree of kinship of individuals). • Extending the spectrum of the measured performance features (ultrasound measurement of the shell thickness). In turn, the following results are related to the organization of the breeding process: • Introduction of an original mechanism of full identification of the origin of all chicks (cage system with the use of barcodes). • Establishment of a rooster seed bank. • Improving the method of identifying individuals based on their hatch number. • Automation of measurements and registration of the performance characteristics of individuals extended by ultrasound measurement of the shell thickness.

animal husbandry and welfare