A breeding method for improving bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens

Abstract

The present invention relates to a breeding method for improving the skeletal health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens, comprising: obtaining digital X-rays of yellow-feathered broiler chickens, observing skeletal defects using the digital X-rays, and measuring the length and diameter of the tibia of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens; obtaining grayscale data of a sampling area based on the tibia length and diameter, and calculating bone density; performing a comprehensive bone health score for the yellow-feathered broiler chickens based on the bone density and skeletal defects; and performing family selection to complete the breeding of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens. By combining pedigree information with bone health scoring rules, the present invention can further improve the efficiency of breeding for bone health traits through family selection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of poultry breeding, and in particular to a breeding method for improving the bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens. Background Art

[0002] Normal skeletal development is fundamental for modern broiler chickens to maintain high-intensity growth and fully realize their breed's potential. Excessively rapid growth leads to relatively delayed skeletal development, triggering a series of problems such as tibial dyschondroplasia, tibial deformities, and osteoporosis. Traditional in vivo measurement techniques, such as body measurements, are unable to detect skeletal abnormalities, and ultrasonic diagnostic technology cannot accurately observe skeletal morphology over a large field of view and perform pathological diagnoses. While accurate measurements of skeletal morphology and pathological conditions can be made after slaughter and dissection, slaughtered chickens cannot be kept for breeding, preventing the transmission of superior genetic traits. This application first utilizes digital X-ray technology to capture skeletal images of 6-8 week-old individuals, calculate tibial bone density, tibial length, and diameter, score tibial dyschondroplasia and tibial deformities, and combine bone density data to calculate a comprehensive bone health index. This index, along with pedigree information, is used to select families and eliminate individuals with lower rankings, thereby achieving selection for skeletal health traits. This method simultaneously improves the uniformity of skeletal morphology and the uniformity of body weight within the population. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to address the phenomenon that yellow-feathered broilers have a high incidence of skeletal deformities due to reasons such as excessive growth. By using digital X-ray technology, bone density, bone morphology measurement, bone defect observation and related breeding strategy improvements, the bone health of chickens can be ultimately improved.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0005] A breeding method for improving the bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens, comprising:

[0006] Obtaining a digital X-ray of a yellow-feathered broiler chicken, and measuring the length and diameter of the tibia of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken using the digital X-ray;

[0007] The bone density is obtained through the length and diameter of the tibia. Based on the bone density, the bone defects of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens are observed and the comprehensive bone health score is scored. Family selection is performed to complete the breeding of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens.

[0008] Optionally, obtaining a digital X-ray of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken includes:

[0009] Read the individual number on the wing number or leg ring of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken;

[0010] The yellow-feathered broiler is suspended between the digital X-ray device and the data acquisition board by a simple hanging bracket, at a fixed distance from the data acquisition board, to obtain a digital X-ray film of the yellow-feathered broiler;

[0011] The digital X-ray films of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens and the individual numbers corresponding to the digital X-ray films are stored.

[0012] Optionally, measuring the tibia length and diameter of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken by the digital X-ray comprises:

[0013] By connecting the tarsal bone to the proximal growth plate of the tibia in the digital X-ray film, the length of the connecting line is the tibia length, the midpoint of the connecting line between the tarsal bone and the proximal growth plate of the tibia is obtained, and a perpendicular line is drawn to the midpoint to intersect the midpoint. The distance of the tibia along the outer edge of the perpendicular line is the tibia diameter.

[0014] Optionally, obtaining bone density through the tibia length and diameter includes:

[0015] Preset the length, width and thickness of the aluminum step, collect the grayscale information of each aluminum step based on the aluminum step length and the aluminum step width, calculate the grayscale information, and obtain the grayscale average value;

[0016] Establishing a corresponding data set of the aluminum step thickness and the average grayscale, bringing the data set into the R language package, and constructing a regression model;

[0017] The average grayscale of the sampling area is set, the average grayscale of the sampling area is brought into the regression model, and the bone density is obtained through the code.

[0018] Optionally, setting the average grayscale of the sampling area includes:

[0019] The fixed length of the line connecting the tibia length near the tarsal end is used as the sampling area length, and the fixed diameter along the tibia length line is taken as the sampling area width to construct the sampling area. The average grayscale of the sampling area is obtained through the sampling area.

[0020] Optionally, the regression model includes:

[0021] myreg=glm(alu~tmpgray)

[0022] Where myreg is the required regression equation, glm() is the generalized linear model solving function in the R language package, alu is the aluminum layer thickness dataset, and tmpgray is the average grayscale dataset corresponding to each aluminum layer;

[0023] The code includes:

[0024] bonedensity=myreg$coefficients[1]+myreg$coefficients[2]*bonegray

[0025] Among them, bonedensity is the bone density value of the sampling area, myreg$coefficients[1] is the intercept of the regression equation, myreg$coefficients[2] is the regression coefficient, and bonegray is the average grayscale of the sampling area.

[0026] Optionally, observing the yellow-feathered broiler chicken for bone defects includes:

[0027] Observing the bone defects of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens, wherein the bone defects include: tibial chondrodysplasia, tarsal developmental delay, tarsal joint cysts, tibial deformity and femoral defects;

[0028] Every time a defect is observed, a fixed score is set and the yellow-feathered broiler chicken is scored.

[0029] Optionally, based on the bone density and defect observation scores, the method for comprehensively scoring the bone health of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken is:

[0030] boneScore=20–boneDefectScore–bonDeScore

[0031] Among them, boneScore is the final score of individual bone health, boneDefectScore is the individual bone defect score, and bonDeScor is the individual bone density score;

[0032] The method for scoring individual bone defects of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens is as follows:

[0033] bonDeScore=(bonedensity–avg_bonedensity) / std_bonedensity_*-1

[0034] Among them, bonDeScore is the individual bone density score, bonedensity is the individual bone density value, avg_bonedensity is the mean bone density of the selected breeding group, and std_bonedensity is the standard deviation of the bone density of the selected breeding group.

[0035] Optionally, perform pedigree selection including:

[0036] Preset pedigree records, obtain the average comprehensive bone health scores of roosters and hens of the same family of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens to be bred, and divide the average comprehensive bone health scores of roosters and hens by the total number of individuals in the family to obtain the family mean;

[0037] The family means are sorted, and families with low comprehensive bone health scores are eliminated according to different breed breeding plans.

[0038] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0039] 1) This method can obtain information on bone morphology, bone density, and bone defects in living chickens;

[0040] 2) Combining pedigree information and bone health scoring rules to conduct family selection can further improve the efficiency of breeding for bone health traits. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of a breeding method for improving bone health in yellow-feathered broiler chickens according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 2 This is an X-ray image of the proximal end of a normal chicken tibia according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 3 This is an X-ray image of right distal femoral dysplasia according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 4 An X-ray image of the normal development of the tarsal bones and tarsal joints according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 5 This is an X-ray of tarsal development retardation and a left tarsal joint cyst in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 6 This is an X-ray image of severe tibial curvature according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention discloses a breeding method for improving the bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens: the present invention requires that the breeding population has at least two generations of pedigree records, standard aluminum step blocks of known thickness (known aluminum step thicknesses such as: 0.3mm, 0.6mm, 0.9mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 1.8mm, 2.1mm, 2.4mm, 2.7mm, 3.0mm and 3.3mm.), a digital X-ray machine and a simple chicken hanger.

[0051] In this embodiment, roosters of the Qingjiao Ma chicken supporting system are selected and bred for the total egg production at 66 weeks of age.

[0052] Step 1: The gender and pedigree of the group are known, as shown in Table 1:

[0053] Table 1

[0054]

[0055]

[0056] Step 2: Assembly and debugging of digital X-ray equipment:

[0057] The equipment is placed on a horizontal platform, and the data acquisition panel is placed 80 to 90 cm from the machine head, with the panel perpendicular to the X-ray emission direction.

[0058] Turn on the power switch of the digital X-ray machine, press the field of view test button, and adjust the position of the machine head and data acquisition board so that the data acquisition panel is located in the center of the test field of view and is completely covered by the test field of view.

[0059] The standard aluminum step is permanently fixed to the upper left corner of the data acquisition board. Adjust the digital X-ray machine parameters: Kv value is 60, mAs value is 3.2.

[0060] Open the supporting software on the control computer and wait for the software to prompt that the device is successfully connected. The shooting system is ready.

[0061] Step 3: Obtaining digital X-rays:

[0062] Take the chickens from the cage and read the individual number on the wing ring or leg ring.

[0063] Place the chicken on a simple hanging rack with its legs facing upwards, and hang it between the X-ray machine and the digital collection board, 15 cm away from the digital collection board.

[0064] Enter the individual chicken number (e.g. 2001) in the "ID" field on the software interface, click the "Bird Trunk" button to enter the shooting interface.

[0065] Press and hold the "shoot" button on the X-ray machine remote control, and release it after hearing the prompt tone, indicating that the shooting is completed and the digital X-ray film has been stored in the computer.

[0066] The above steps are repeated until digital X-rays of all chickens are obtained.

[0067] Step 4: Measurement of tibia length and diameter;

[0068] For each X-ray, tibial length was calculated as the length of the line from the tarsal bone to the proximal growth plate of the tibia in the digital X-ray;

[0069] Tibial diameter: Take the midpoint of the above connecting line in the digital X-ray film, draw a perpendicular line to intersect it, and obtain the distance from the outer edge of the tibia along the perpendicular line

[0070] Step 5: Measurement of bone density;

[0071] Assume that the stepped aluminum block has 10 steps, and the length, width and thickness of the aluminum steps are preset (known quantities). Through the preset width and thickness of each step, the grayscale value of each pixel in the area where each platform is located can be obtained, and the average of all grayscale values ​​is calculated. A corresponding data set of the grayscale mean of each step and its thickness is established. The corresponding data set is the basis of linear regression. The corresponding data set is brought into the code in the R package to obtain the relationship equation between the aluminum step thickness and the grayscale. The average grayscale value of the area is obtained from the bone density sampling area. The grayscale value of the bone density sampling area is brought into the relationship equation between the aluminum step thickness and the grayscale for calculation to obtain the aluminum step thickness equivalent of the bone density sampling area. The aluminum step thickness equivalent is the bone density value.

[0072] Take individual 2001 as an example:

[0073] Known aluminum step thicknesses include: 0.3mm, 0.6mm, 0.9mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 1.8mm, 2.1mm, 2.4mm, 2.7mm, 3.0mm and 3.3mm.

[0074] The upper left coordinates of the 10 rectangular standard aluminum step reference areas are: (0,0), (0,10), (0,20), (0,30), (0,40), (0,50), (0,60), (0,70), (0,80), (0,90);

[0075] The lower right coordinates are: (15,0), (15,10), (15,20), (15,30), (15,40), (15,50), (15,60), (15,70), (15,80), (15,90);

[0076] The rectangle formed by each pair of coordinate points is the standard aluminum-scale sampling area. The grayscale mean of the standard aluminum-scale is obtained by summing the grayscale values ​​of each pixel in the sampling area and dividing it by the number of pixels in the sampling area (1500): 3747, 6839, 9025, 12935, 15510, 18270, 21470, 24088, 27423, 30006.

[0077] The corresponding relationship between the thickness of each step of the aluminum step and the average grayscale is established. The above corresponding relationship is brought into the R language package, and the regression equation and regression model are obtained using the following code:

[0078] alu=c(0.3,0.6,0.9,1.2,1.5,1.8,2.1,2.4,2.7,3.0)

[0079] tmpgray=c(3747,6839,9025,12935,15510,18270,21470,24088,27423,30006)

[0080] myreg=glm(alu~tmpgray)

[0081] Where myreg is the required regression equation, glm() is the generalized linear model solving function in the R language package, alu is the aluminum layer thickness dataset, and tmpgray is the average grayscale dataset corresponding to each aluminum layer;

[0082] Then the intercept of the regression equation of the grayscale and aluminum order of this X-ray is myreg$coefficients[1]=1.76mm, and the regression coefficient is: myreg$coefficients[2]=2.55E-5.

[0083] Calibration data collection area (3) Tibia density: One fifth of the tibia length line (near the tarsal end) is the length, and 1 / 2 of the diameter along the line is the width. The rectangular part formed is the sampling area, and the average grayscale of the sampling area is 25779.

[0084] Substitute the average grayscale of the bone sampling area into the regression equation calculated by the aluminum step and use the following code to obtain the tibial bone density:

[0085] bonedensity=myreg$coefficients[1]+myreg$coefficients[2]*bonegray

[0086] Among them, bonedensity is the bone density value of the sampling area, myreg$coefficients[1] is the intercept of the regression equation, myreg$coefficients[2] is the regression coefficient, and bonegray is the average grayscale of the sampling area;

[0087] The result is 2.42mm.

[0088] The above calculation process is repeated every time an X-ray film is taken.

[0089] After calculation, the above individual bone density values ​​are shown in Table 2:

[0090] Table 2

[0091]

[0092] Step 6, scoring of skeletal defects;

[0093] Observations of skeletal defects mainly include but are not limited to: tibial chondrodysplasia, tarsal developmental delay, tarsal joint cysts, tibial deformity, femoral defects, etc.

[0094] Normal chicken tibia proximal end X-ray, such as Figure 2 As shown; Individual No. 2001, right limb tibial cartilage dysplasia, right distal femur dysplasia, such as Figure 3 As shown; the tarsal bones and tarsal joints develop normally, such as Figure 4 As shown; Individual No. 2004 had delayed tarsal development and a cyst on the left tarsal joint, as shown Figure 5 As shown; Individual No. 2103 has severe tibial curvature, as shown Figure 6 As shown: In summary, the skeletal defect scores of individuals 2001, 2004, and 2103 were 2, 2, and 1, respectively.

[0095] Step 7: Calculation of comprehensive bone health score

[0096] The mean bone density of the above group is: 2.39, and the standard deviation is: 0.03.

[0097] boneScore=20–boneDefectScore–bonDeScore

[0098] Among them, boneScore is the final score of individual bone health, boneDefectScore is the individual bone defect score, and bonDeScor is the individual bone density score;

[0099] The method for scoring individual bone defects of yellow-feathered broilers using a bone density calculation model is as follows:

[0100] bonDeScore=(bonedensity–avg_bonedensity) / std_bonedensity_*-1

[0101] Among them, bonDeScore is the individual bone health score, bonedensity is the individual bone density value, avg_bonedensity is the mean bone density of the selected breeding group, and std_bonedensity is the standard deviation of bone density of the selected breeding group.

[0102] The full score is 20 points, bone health score = 20 – bone defect score – bone density score

[0103] The group bone health score was calculated (close to or above 20 is the best, the higher the better), as shown in Table 3:

[0104] Table 3

[0105]

[0106]

[0107] Step 8: Calculation of family performance and selection

[0108] The above population contains a total of 4 families namely (named after the roosters) 1001, 1101, 1201, and 1301, as shown in Table 4;

[0109] Table 4

[0110]

[0111] Based on the family bone health scores, 50% of the families were eliminated, that is, all individuals in families 1101 and 1201 were eliminated: individuals 2101, 2102, 2103, 2104, 2201, 2201, 2203 and 2204.

[0112] After elimination, the average bone health score of the group was 19.84.

[0113] Comparison with other breeding methods:

[0114] Yellow-feathered broilers represent half of my country's broiler market. After nearly 20 years of continuous breeding, their growth rate has gradually approached that of large, fast-growing white-feathered broilers. However, this rapid growth rate leads to relatively slow bone development, triggering a series of problems such as tibial dyschondroplasia, tibial deformities, and osteoporosis. Traditional methods often rely on visual observation and touch to assess bone development. Most of a chicken's bones are hidden deep beneath the skin and muscles, and only the metatarsals are visible to the naked eye. Bends and pathological changes in metatarsals are extremely rare. While palpation can partially inspect the keel, it fails to provide additional information on bone morphology. Ultrasonic testing requires plucking feathers and applying coupling agent, making it cumbersome and requiring a narrow field of view. Currently, there is no database or method for ultrasonic bone density measurement in chickens, making it impossible to obtain bone density data and providing a direct indication of bone defects.

[0115] This method addresses the prevalence of skeletal deformities in yellow-feathered broilers due to factors such as rapid growth. Using digital X-ray technology, the method measures individual tibial bone density, tibial length, and tibial diameter. This method then classifies and identifies skeletal defects and establishes a health index. This index, along with pedigree information, is then used to select families, eliminating individuals with poorer rankings and thus achieving selection for skeletal health traits. This method effectively improves skeletal health in a population.

[0116] The traditional breeding method and the case method were compared, as shown in Table 6:

[0117] Table 6

[0118]

[0119]

[0120] In summary, this method has improved the selection accuracy and genetic progress of offspring in the practice of breeding for bone health.

[0121] The embodiments described above are merely descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by persons skilled in the art should fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A breeding method for improving the bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens, characterized in that: include: Obtaining a digital X-ray of a yellow-feathered broiler chicken, and measuring the length and diameter of the tibia of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken using the digital X-ray; The bone density was obtained by using the tibia length and diameter: Preset the length, width and thickness of the aluminum step, collect the grayscale information of each aluminum step based on the aluminum step length and the aluminum step width, calculate the grayscale information, and obtain the grayscale average value; Establishing a corresponding data set of the aluminum step thickness and the average grayscale, bringing the data set into the R language package, and constructing a regression model; Setting the average grayscale of the sampling area, bringing the average grayscale of the sampling area into the regression model, and obtaining the bone density through code; The regression model includes: myreg=glm(alu~tmpgray) Where myreg is the required regression equation, glm() is the generalized linear model solving function in the R language package, alu is the aluminum layer thickness dataset, and tmpgray is the average grayscale dataset corresponding to each aluminum layer; The code includes: bonedensity=myreg$coefficients[1]+myreg$coefficients[2]*bonegray Among them, bonedensity is the bone density value of the sampling area, myreg$coefficients[1] is the intercept of the regression equation, myreg$coefficients[2] is the regression coefficient, and bonegray is the average grayscale of the sampling area; Based on the bone density, the yellow-feathered broiler chickens are observed for bone defects and a comprehensive bone health score is scored, and family selection is performed to complete the breeding of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens; The bone defect observation of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens includes: Observing the bone defects of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens, wherein the bone defects include: tibial chondrodysplasia, tarsal developmental delay, tarsal joint cysts, tibial deformity and femoral defects; When each defect is observed, a fixed score is set and the yellow-feathered broiler chicken is scored; Based on the bone density and defect observation scores, the method for comprehensively scoring the bone health of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens is: boneScore = 20 – boneDefectScore – bonDeScore Among them, boneScore is the final score of individual bone health, boneDefectScore is the individual bone defect score, and bonDeScor is the individual bone density score; The method for scoring individual bone defects of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens is as follows: bonDeScore=(bonedensity–avg_bonedensity) / std_bonedensity_*-1 Among them, bonDeScore is the individual bone density score, bonedensity is the individual bone density value, avg_bonedensity is the mean bone density of the selected breeding group, and std_bonedensity is the standard deviation of bone density of the selected breeding group.

2. The breeding method for improving the bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens according to claim 1, characterized in that: Obtaining the digital X-ray of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken includes: Read the individual number on the wing number or leg ring of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken; The yellow-feathered broiler is suspended between the digital X-ray device and the data acquisition board by a simple hanging bracket, at a fixed distance from the data acquisition board, to obtain a digital X-ray film of the yellow-feathered broiler; The digital X-ray films of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens and the individual numbers corresponding to the digital X-ray films are stored.

3. The breeding method for improving the bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens according to claim 1, characterized in that: Measuring the tibia length and diameter of the yellow-feathered broiler chicken by the digital X-ray comprises: By connecting the tarsal bone to the proximal growth plate of the tibia in the digital X-ray film, the length of the connecting line is the tibia length, the midpoint of the connecting line between the tarsal bone and the proximal growth plate of the tibia is obtained, a perpendicular line is drawn to the midpoint and intersects the midpoint, and the distance of the tibia along the outer edge of the perpendicular line is the tibia diameter.

4. The breeding method for improving the bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens according to claim 1, characterized in that: Setting the average grayscale of the sampling area includes: The fixed length of the line connecting the tibia length near the tarsal end is used as the sampling area length, and the fixed diameter along the tibia length line is taken as the sampling area width to construct the sampling area. The average grayscale of the sampling area is obtained through the sampling area.

5. The breeding method for improving bone health of yellow-feathered broiler chickens according to claim 1, characterized in that: Family selection includes: Preset pedigree records, obtain the average comprehensive bone health scores of roosters and hens of the same family of the yellow-feathered broiler chickens to be bred, and divide the average comprehensive bone health scores of roosters and hens by the total number of individuals in the family to obtain the family mean; The family means are sorted, and families with low comprehensive bone health scores are eliminated according to different breed breeding plans.

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