Grandparent stock plays a pivotal role in the poultry production pyramid. These highly valued breeding chickens are carefully selected for their genetic potential and ability to produce high-quality fertile eggs. But what exactly is grandparent stock and why are they so important? This comprehensive guide explains everything you need to know.
What is Grandparent Stock?
Grandparent stock sometimes called GP stock, refers to a specific generation of elite breeding chickens in commercial poultry production. They are the direct offspring of the great grandparent (GGP) breeding flocks maintained by primary breeding companies like Aviagen and Cobb-Vantress.
The grandparent chickens are not used for meat production themselves. Rather their purpose is to pass down desired genetic traits to the next generation of breeders, known as parent stock.
The Role of Grandparent Birds
The role of the grandparent flock is to produce fertile hatching eggs carrying proven genetics for growth rate, feed efficiency, yield, livability, and health traits. These eggs are incubated to hatch parent stock chicks destined for commercial meat production.
So while grandparent birds never produce meat themselves, they supply the breeding stock that enables the rapid growth and efficient feed conversion crucial for profitable broiler and turkey production.
Why Are Grandparents So Valuable?
Grandparent stock is extremely valuable due to the elite genetics they possess. These birds are the result of intense multi-generational selection programs designed to continuously improve traits like growth rate and meat yield.
For example, Aviagen’s Arbor Acres grandparent lines demonstrate feed conversion ratios under 1.45:1 along with high livability and breast meat yield. This genetic potential is passed down to commercial birds.
Losing a grandparent flock could have huge consequences, disrupting the supply of improved breeding stock to a poultry company. This makes grandparent health and biosecurity critically important.
How Are Grandparent Flocks Managed?
Due to their high genetic value, grandparent flocks are raised under tight biosecurity to prevent disease introduction. They are housed in fully-enclosed, climate-controlled barns with restricted access. Staff must follow strict biosecurity protocols.
As these birds are not themselves producing meat, they are fed limited rations to control body weight and maintain reproductive fitness. Lighting programs are used to stimulate reproduction and achieve weekly egg production targets.
High standards of biosecurity, nutrition, management and veterinary care ensure that grandparents can express their full genetic potential for egg production.
The Poultry Breeding Pyramid
Grandparents belong to a multi-step breeding pyramid designed to disseminate genetic improvement down to commercial poultry production. This begins with pedigree elite lines at the top, descending through great grandparents, then grandparents, parents, and finally commercial chickens raised for meat.
Each step amplifies the numbers while passing proven genetics down the pyramid. For example, a single pedigree hen may produce 100 grandparent chicks, which in turn can produce 50,000 parent stock, resulting in 5 million broilers carrying her genetics.
Why Are Separate Generations Used?
Maintaining separation between elite, valuable pedigree and grandparent flocks and commercial production birds is crucial. This isolation protects the genetic integrity and health status of the elite breeding lines.
Without this pyramid structure, commercial birds carrying millions of pathogens could compromise the valuable, highly-selected grandparent stock. Disease challenges could also mask the birds’ true genetic potential.
The breeding pyramid minimizes risks while allowing continual dissemination of new genetics into commercial chicken production.
How Are Grandparents Selected?
Primary breeders use advanced genomic selection techniques to identify elite grandparents. This includes DNA analysis and statistical genotyping to determine breeding values for key traits like growth and meat yield.
Grandparent candidates are also subject to specialized assessments including:
- Ultrasound scanning to evaluate muscle development
- Shank length and body conformation measurements
- Monitoring walking ability and leg health
- Testing cardiovascular function
Only the very best birds are selected to become grandparents based on this comprehensive testing regime.
The Role of Biosecurity
Biosecurity is critical for maintaining grandparent health and productivity. Companies implement strict protocols covering:
- Limited and controlled access to facilities
- Sanitation of equipment and personnel
- Bird monitoring and vaccinations
- Rodent control
- Air filtration
- Water sanitation
These measures reduce disease risks and support the full expression of the birds’ genetic potential across their lifetime. Biosecurity protects the heavy investment in elite poultry genetics.
How Grandparents Contribute to Poultry Production
As the link between pedigree lines and commercial production, grandparent stock play an indispensable role supporting the poultry industry. Their optimized genetics enable the fast, efficient production of over 50 billion broilers and turkeys annually.
By supplying elite fertile hatching eggs, healthy grandparent flocks allow integrated companies to maximize meat yields. This supports global protein production and provides affordable nutrition to billions of consumers.
Cobb, Philippe Gouault – Grandparent Specialist
FAQ
What is the difference between grandparent stock and parent stock?
What is a grandparent in poultry?
What is a parent stock chicken?
How old are chickens when they are slaughtered?
What is grandparent stock?
Grandparent stock refers to a specific generation of breeding birds in the poultry industry, which are used to produce the next generation of breeding birds. They are the offspring of great grandparent (GGP) stock and are kept on high level biosecure farms around the world.
Why is grandparent stock important in poultry production?
Grandparent stock plays a crucial role in the production of poultry for human consumption. The GP birds are carefully selected for their genetic traits, such as growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, and disease resistance. These traits are then passed down to the PS generation through the fertile eggs produced by the GP birds.
What is a parent stock hen?
Parent stock are then used in broiler breeder farms to produce fertilized eggs; their lineage will follow the diagram above with GGP hens producing broiler breeders, which in turn produce our Sunday roast. Males and females from parent stock are selected from different genetic lines or breeds and their chicks are hybrids.
What is a great grandparent bird?
These birds are the offspring of great grandparent (GGP) stock and are used to produce the next generation of breeding birds, known as parent stock (PS). The GP stock is kept on highly biosecure farms around the world, including in Australia and Europe.