The use of genetic markers in poultry breeding

<br/>This thesis focuses on the design of linkage and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping experiments and on the use of genetic markers in poultry breeding schemes. Criteria to optimize the design of experiments that use outbred populations to create a linkage map were described. Those criteria were used to evaluate designs of experiments to map codominant and dominant genetic markers using half-sib of full-sib family structures. Once a linkage map is created, QTLs can be placed on the map. Deterministic computation methods were used to determine the power of two- and three- generation QTL mapping experiments in an outbred population containing full-sib or half-sib families. Genetic markers that are linked to QTL can be used for selection purposes. The effect of using genetic markers to assist selection in an outbred poultry breeding nucleus was studied. The additional response to selection for a sex-limited trait was computed using deterministic simulation. The general discussion of this thesis addresses the status of the chicken linkage map, QTLs found in poultry, and discusses the usefulness of several applications of genetic markers in poultry breeding.