USDA partners in research with Hendrix Genetics and Cobb-Vantress on a US$10m DNA technology selection project in poultry breeding

The recently formed alliance between multi-species breeding company Hendrix Genetics (Boxmeer, The Netherlands) and the broiler breeding company Cobb-Vantress, Inc. (Siloam Springs, Arkansas, USA), is to become the first in the world to implement genomic selection in poultry breeding.

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has agreed to provide $US2.5 million towards a $US10 million large-scale field evaluation of DNA selection technology in chicken breeding.

The use of this new technology is a breakthrough in animal breeding. The selection of pedigree stock through analysis of DNA from the whole genome will provide accurate and rapid results, enabling significant genetic improvement. Such progress - hard to realise using traditional breeding methods - will now be feasible for disease resistance, animal health and welfare traits.

The field evaluation begins on October 1, 2008 and will run for a period of four years. In addition to the breeding companies Cobb-Vantress and Hendrix Genetics, a consortium of leading universities and institutes in a number of countries will be involved in this milestone project. Genomic selection will also be implemented in the other breeding divisions of Hendrix Genetics.

This new field of research is based on previous in-house and collaborative DNA research performed at Hendrix Genetics and Cobb-Vantress. The animals with the best traits will be selected based on 60,000 genetic markers (called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms or SNP’s) and with the assistance of DNA chip technology.

Hendrix Genetics will perform the field evaluation of the technology for layers, and Cobb-Vantress for broilers. Both companies have the birds, facilities and the expertise to carry out this large-scale project. The universities and institutes will support the project with their knowledge of quantitative genetics and DNA technology to assist efficient implementation of the project.

In the current breeding programs pedigree stock selection is based on the performance of individual birds, of their offspring and of extended family members relating to factors such as feed and management. The data are evaluated and the best birds chosen for the breeding program. With the new DNA technology, a small drop of blood from a bird will yield data for predicting performance of the offspring. Besides the improvements in speed, accuracy, product quality and consistency, the new method will provide a much better understanding of health and welfare traits important to the future of the global poultry industry.

Research and Industry

In this DNA selection project a unique consortium of industry, universities, research institutes and government will combine their expertise and work together towards the goal of implementing genomic selection in poultry breeding. In collaboration with Hendrix Genetics and Cobb-Vantress, leading scientific groups will assume responsibility for important parts of the project. Dr. Hans Cheng of the USDA and Dr. William Muir of Purdue University, USA, have been nominated as the project directors.

Resources provided by the poultry breeding companies Hendrix Genetics and Cobb-Vantress together with the funding from the USDA will result in a total sum of $US 10 million for the project.

Project Parties

Cobb-Vantress, Siloam Springs, Arkansas, USA
Hendrix Genetics Research & Technology Centre, Boxmeer, The Netherlands
US Department of Agriculture (USDA), East Lansing, MI, USA
Purdue University, Lafayette, IND, USA
Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
INRA, Toulouse, France
University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
University of Alberta, Edmonton. Canada
Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
DNA LandMarks, Inc., Montreal, Canada

About Hendrix Genetics

Hendrix Genetics is a global multi-species animal genetics company investing in technology, people and progress to deliver sustainable value to business partners, employees and society.

Hendrix Genetics has four divisions: Institut de Sélection Animale (ISA), the layer breeding division; Hybrid, the turkey breeding division; Hypor, the pig breeding division, and SFPA, the poultry distribution division. Hendrix Genetics has around 1000 employees with a further 500 working in joint ventures. This Hendrix Genetics team combines 46 nationalities in subsidiaries and offices in 23 countries.

About Cobb-Vantress

Cobb-Vantress Incorporated is the world’s leading poultry research and development company engaged in the marketing, development, production and distribution of broiler breeding stock. Cobb-Vantress, Inc. has a long-term commitment to the poultry industry and the well being of all the birds produced and distributed to customers worldwide.

Cobb-Vantress, which started in the US in 1916, is the oldest company in the poultry breeding industry. Cobb-Vantress is based in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, USA and operates in over 80 countries with around 1700 employees globally.

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USDA partners in research with Hendrix Genetics and Cobb-Vantress on a US$10m DNA technology selection project in poultry breeding