• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.85-98
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• 1996

Results of experiments on the nutrient requirements and feeding system of broiler breeder hens were reviewed, and daily requirements of energy and protein were calculated using the prediction equations reported by Scott(1977) and NRC(1981). The experimental reports on daily ME needs of broiler breeder hens were ranged from 400 to 450 kcal, however, the ME needs of caged hens were 92~93% to those of floor-housed hens due to the difference of ME need for activity. The ME needs of broiler breeders decreased with increasing environmental temperature corresponding to a drop of 25 kcal per day for each 5˚C rise. About 80~90% of the daily ME needs were used for body rnaintenance and activity of hens. Experimental results on daily protein needs of broiler breeder hens were ranged from 18 to 22 g, however, calculated protein needs decreased as the BW gain and eggmass output decreased after peak production, and about 60~65% of the daily protein needs were used for egg production. In the current practice, broiler breeder hens are restricted in feed, and consume their daily allowance in the first 2 to 6 h after dawn. The results suggest that eggshell quality can be significantly improved in hens fed during the afternoon when shell calcification is initiated, with no adverse effect on laying rate and fertility of eggs.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2000

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of reproductive ability on weeks and body weights of broiler breeder males. From 26 to 36 week, volume of semen and body weight were increased. Total concentration was highest at 36 week(P〈0.05), being 21.14$\times$10(sup)8 cells. Mean of total concentration was 14.66$\times$10(sup)8 cells and 11.59$\times$10(sup)8 cells in young(26∼55 weeks) and old(60∼89 weeks) broiler breeder males, respectively. Percentage of fertile eggs, viability and hatchability on weeks were 96.33, 89.55, 86.25% in the young broiler breeder males, 94.84, 91.73 and 86.97% the old broiler breeder males, respectively. The values were not significantly different between the young and old broiler breeder males. While the body weight of cocks was less than 3.5kg, it was not possible to collect semen. Semen collection rate was the best in 4.5∼5.0kg of males, total concentration was highest in 5.0∼5.5kg, volume of semen was highest in 5.5∼6.0kg body weight. More than 80% of the males were in the range of 4∼6kg body weight. Sperm motility was acceptable for breeding.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 1996

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the present situation of broiler breeder industry, and to investigate some problems related to it in Korea. The number of broiler breeding farms were 231 in 1990. It peaked to 264 in 1992, but decreased afterward to 232 in 1995. The number of broiler parent stock were over 4 millions since 1992 except in 1993. The number of commercial chicks produced per breeding hen was around 100, which is far below to the suggested values of breeding companies. The number of hatching eggs produced per breeding hen were 168 eggs in US, 156~170 eggs in Thailand, and 160~170 eggs in China. Factors involved in the lowered performances of broiler parent stock in Korea appear to be 1) the poor isolation of breeding farms from commercial broiler farms, causing easy contamination with various diseases, 2) the failure to provide proper environment to the breeder, and 3) the failure to control body weight during laying periods.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.149-152
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• 2011

From January to November in 2010, a result of chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) antibodies ELISA test about 500 number in 25 broiler breeder farms and 500 number in a broiler chickens slaughterhouse from 25 farms in Iksan area, Jeonbuk. The result of 100% (25/25) positive rate in broiler breeder farms group and 98.6% (493/500) positive rate from each individual. In each week-age group, 98.8% of 18~20 weeks and 98.3% of 21~24 weeks showed positive without any significant differences. In slaughterhouse case, broilers from the farms showed 36.0% (9/25) positive rate and each individual showed 20.4% (102/500) positive rate.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 2003

A total of 112 male and 1208 female Ross broiler breeders (30-wk-old) were used in this study to investigate whether a male to female (M/F) ratio of broiler breeder chickens may influence fertility and hatchability of hatching eggs. There were three treatments, each consisting of four pens with a size of 3.2 m ${\times}$ 6.4 m. Each pen housed approx. 100 females and 10 males to give the M/F ratio as follows: T1, 1/9; T2, 1/11; and T3, 1/13, respectively. The fertility of broiler breeder eggs ranged between 93 to 94％ at 30 wk of age. At 35 wk of age, breeder eggs from T3 tended to be less fertile (P>0.05) than those from T1 and T2. The low fertility observed in T3 at 35 wk of age further reduced to reach a statistical significance at 46 wk of age (P<0.05) when compared to those of T1 and T2. Hatchability of breeder eggs among treatments tended to follow a similar trend as shown in fertility, keeping hatchability of breeder eggs from T3 low when compared to the groups of T1 and T2. Our results indicated that the M/F ratio influenced fertility and consequently hatchability of breeder eggs. Furthermore, our study suggests that either 1/9 or 1/11 M/F ratio, but not 1/13 M/F ratio, seems suitable to sustain reproductive performance of broiler breeders throughout the laying periods.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 2014

We investigated the serological prevalence of avian metapneumovirus (AMPV), avian reovirus (ARV), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) in 760 broiler breeder (38 flocks), in the Jeonbuk province in 2013. This study was conducted to evaluate the immune and infection status of the broiler breeder flocks against AMPV, ARV, MG, MS by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serological test for AMPV were positive 37 (97.3%) flocks and 712 (93.6%) broiler breeder and geometric mean antibody titers were $16,350{\pm}10,195$, ARV were high positive rate 100% (38/38) flocks and 97.8% (743/760). The seropositive flocks against MG were 71.1% (27/38) and the geometric mean antibody titers were $2,474{\pm}2,045$, whereas the rates of positive flocks against MS were 50.0% (19/38) and the geometric mean antibody titers were $1,469{\pm}1,230$.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.43-55
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• 2008

Recently, the major viral diseases, Newcastle disease (ND), infectious bronchitis (IB), low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI), avian pneumovirus infection (APV), Marek's disease (MD) and infectious bursal disease (IBD), have led to huge economic losses in chicken industry of Korea. To evaluate prevalence of the major viral disease infections in broiler breeder and broiler farms, epidemiological survey has been conducted in Jeonbuk province from 2005 to 2007 by serological ELISA test for APV, PCR for MD, and RT-PCR for ND, IB, LPAI and IBD, respectively. A total of 424 cases was submitted to our laboratory for diagnosis of the major viral disease from broiler breeder and broiler farms in the above period. The diagnosed results were analysed for the detection rate of infections on basis of years, seasons and ages, respectively. This study was showed that the detection rates of ND and APV were considerably high for every years regardless of seasons and ages in both broiler breeder and commercial broiler. In comparison with detection rates of ND and APV, IB and LPAI were lower but detected around 10% for every years. Especially, detection rate of IB was significantly high in commercial broiler than in broiler breeder. Therefore, to minimize economic losses for broiler breeder and broiler farms, it will need for effective countermeasures to decrease detection rate of the viral respiratory diseases. Although the detection rates of MD and IBD were gradually decreased from 2005 to 2007 in both broiler breeder and commercial broiler, it will continually make an effort about disease control for increasing productivity in chicken industry.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.262-269
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of breeder age and stocking density on performance, carcass characteristics and some stress parameters (H-L ratio, serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, tonic immobility test (TI), antibody production, relative asymmetry (RA) and external appearances). This experiment was carried out with 705 one-day old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) obtained from three different ages of broiler breeder (32, 48 and 61 wks). Each age group was randomly divided into two stocking density groups (11.9 and 17.5 broilers per $m^2$) with 5 replications per group. The experimental period was 6 weeks. Broilers from 32 wk-old breeders had lower initial weight (p<0.001), body weight gain of the first 3 week of rearing (p<0.01), the percentage of abdominal fat (p<0.001) and serum cholesterol level (p<0.01); higher percentage of gizzard (p<0.01) and longer TI duration (p<0.001) than those from 48 and 61 wk-old breeders. Broilers reared at 17.5 b/m2 had lower final BW, body weight gain, feed consumption, feather condition and foot health (p<0.001), higher percentage of heart, H-L ratio, serum glucose and cholesterol levels (p<0.001), and longer TI durations (p<0.001). There were no significant interactions in examined parameters except for feed to gain ratio between breeder age and stocking density.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.91-94
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• 2003

Artificial insemination of cryopreserved semen is not practiced in broiler breeder industry although its benefit has been recognized for years. Thus, the present study explored the possibility of artificial insemination with cryopreserved semen in Ross broiler breeders. Sixty Ross female broiler breeders were artificially inseminated either with fresh or with cryopreserved semen pooled from five male Ross broiler breeders. On.e hundred eighty eggs were collected from each semen treatment and hatched. Fertility and hatchability of fertilized eggs collected from hens artificially inseminated with cryopreserved semen were 68.0 and 47.1％, respectively, compared to 88.3 and 87.2％ with fresh semen. Both unfertilized eggs and dead embryos during hatch were significantly (P<0.05) higher in the cryopreserved semen­treated group by approximately 2.7­ and 3.2­fold than the fresh semen­treated counterparts. the moderately low fertility and markedly low hatchability of fertilized eggs obtained from cryopreserved semen observed in this study may be of practical interests in broiler breeder industry and deserves further study.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.181-187
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• 2000

This work was designed to investigate the performances of broiler breeder hens upon the addition were vitamin and mineral supplements in feeds. Animals were divided into for feed groups such as control, T$_1$,T$_2$and T$_3$, and each treatment has four replications. All broiler breeder hens were housed individually, and were fed with identical iso-metaboilic energy and iso-protein, except for vitamins and minerals. Different sources and levels of vitamins and minerals were added to the basic feeds according to the treatments. At the end of the experiments, general laying rate(hen days), average egg weight, hatching egg laying rate(Hen day) every day. Hatching egg weight, sterility, embryo mortality, hatching rate and chick weight were examined. Although, early laying rate in all treatment groups were reduced during cold term management, general egg laying rate was increased only T$_3$group which was contanining vitamin C. However, similar results were obtained in the rates of general and hatching egg laying. General egg laying rate were somewhat higher of Control, T$_2$and T$_3$ groups than that of T$_1$group. In addition, the laying rates of general and hatching eggs slightly improved in the T$_3$group rather than those of Control group. Egg weight was reduced with the increasing of laying rate, showing the highest in the T$_3$group. The laying rate showed significantly lower value than those of any other groups. Egg weight was about 65g in T$_3$group. The results of hatching performance for production ability of Broiler breeder hens were fed experimental diet, although the rates of non-hatched and hatched eggs increased in order of Control, T$_1$T$_2$and T$_3$groups. However, the rate of embryo mortality was declined in order Control, T$_1$T$_2$and T$_3$groups.