Let’s learn about the genetic selection process carried out by companies such as Aviagen and Cobb.
It is an extremely sophisticated and scientific system, which works through a pyramid structure to produce chickens that meet very specific requirements.
Here’s how the process works, starting at the top of the poultry chain pyramid, which we also discussed here:
https://nutriamocidibuonsenso.it/la-piramide-avicola-industriale-globale-e-i-vertici-della-filiera/
https://moreaboutchicken.com/the-global-industrial-poultry-pyramid-and-the-top-of-the-supply-chain/
The poultry genetic selection pyramid
The process is organized on several levels, starting with a small number of genetically superior chickens and ending with billions of chickens destined for consumption.
Top of the pyramid: the “Nucleus”
This is the highest and most exclusive level. Here, companies maintain and select pure genetic lines with the utmost care. This involves a relatively small number of hens and roosters with superior genetic traits for the desired characteristics. Selection is based on the analysis of genetic data and individual performance, with the aim of finding the best breeders for the next generation. The selection parameters at this stage are:
Growth rate: how fast the chicken grows.
Feed conversion: how much feed is needed to produce 1 kg of meat.
Meat yield: the percentage of meat in the chicken’s body, especially in the breast.
Disease resistance: genetic traits that make animals more robust.
Multiplication: Great-grandparents and Grandparents
(GGP and GP)
Chickens selected at the “Nucleus” level are crossed to produce breeders for the next levels:
Grandparent Stock (GP): this is the first level of mass distribution. These chickens are sold to large breeding companies around the world.
Parent Stock (PS): the “Grandparents” produce the “Parents,” which are the final level in the breeding chain.
At this point, selection focuses not only on meat characteristics, but also on the reproductive capacity of laying hens, such as the number of eggs produced and their fertility.
The base of the pyramid: commercial broilers
The “Parents” are sold to farmers around the world. These chickens mate and produce chicks for fattening: commercial broilers. These meat chickens represent the last link in the chain. They are the result of genetic selection that combines the best growth and yield characteristics. Unlike chickens at higher levels, commercial broilers are not suitable for breeding, as their genetics are optimized for meat production.
Differences with native breeds
The Aviagen and Cobb selection process is based on extreme specialization for quantitative efficiency. This is why native breeds or dual-purpose breeds are not used in this chain. Native breeds do not meet the strict productivity and uniformity parameters required by the global market.
In short, industrial genetic selection is a funnel system: it starts with a small genetic elite to obtain a standardized, high-performance end product that can meet the global demand for meat and eggs.
Let’s summarize the “family tree” of genetic selection, which shows how a small group of chickens at the top gives rise to the production of billions of specimens at the bottom.
This “pyramid” structure allows genetics companies to start from a narrow base and multiply it in a controlled manner, ensuring that the millions of chickens that reach consumption maintain the same precise genetic and productive characteristics.
The family tree of genetic selection in poultry farming is therefore as follows:
The top
Nucleus chickens
It is a very small group of chickens with the highest quality genetics, intensively selected to obtain the best possible traits (growth, health, yield).
The first level
“Multiplication”: the Grandparents
These are the eggs and chicks born from the crossbreeding of the “Nucleus” chickens. They are the first large group of breeding stock, sold internationally.
The second level
“Production”: the Parents
These are the chicks born from the “Grandparents.” These chickens are raised to produce the eggs that will give life to commercial chickens.
The third level
“The Base”: Commercial Chickens (Broilers)
These are chickens that are raised to produce meat. They are the end result of the selection process and are not suitable for reproduction.
