• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2021

Although feather-sexing using sex-linked genes related to feather development is a widely used chick sexing method in the poultry industry, the feather-sexing method has yet to be used for Korean native chickens (KNCs). The purpose of this study was to construct a KNC feather-sexing line using early-feathering (EF) and late-feathering (LF) genes for industrial application. Using 557 reddish-brown KNCs as the basal flock, frequencies of the EF (k) and LF (K) genes were estimated to be 0.814 and 0.186, respectively. This indicating that it would be feasible to construct a feather-sexing line using this chicken group, and we accordingly constructed EF paternal and LF maternal lines. On the basis of test-cross for the selection of LF homozygous (KK) males in the maternal line, we confirmed that three of 40 chickens were homozygous males. The survival rate, body weight, days at first egg-laying, hen-day egg production, and egg weight were analyzed to compare the production performance of EF and LF chickens. The results revealed that EF chickens were characterized by a superior survival rate, whereas LF chickens were superior in terms of egg production rate. However, no differences between LF and EF chickens were detected with respect to other production performance parameters. In addition, assessment of the fitness of sexed chicks produced in the established KNC feather-sexing lines revealed that the accuracy of sexing was 98.6%. Collectively, these findings indicate the feasibility of constructing effective KNC feather-sexing lines with potential industrial application.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.177-184
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• 2021

Sex identification in day-old chicks is essential in the poultry industry. Currently, the feather-sexing using a sex-linked inheritance is a chick sexing method used extensively in the poultry industry. For chicks produced by feather-sexing, all females are early-feathering (EF) chicks and all males are late-feathering (LF) chicks. Therefore, investigating the effects of EF and LF phenotypes on production traits of chickens is critical. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the production performance between EF and LF chickens in Korean native commercial chickens. The results showed that the survival rate of the EF chickens was significantly higher than that of the LF chickens, from hatching to 12 weeks of age (P<0.05), with the highest difference observed in females. However, no significant difference was observed in body weight between the EF and LF chickens at almost all ages. In addition, no significant difference was observed between in feed utility, such as average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio, between the EF and LF groups. In conclusion, although the survival rate of early-feathering chickens was superior to that of late-feathering chickens, no significant difference was observed in growth performance and feed utility among Korean native chickens. The results suggest that production capacity is not influenced by feathering type in the establishment of a breeder structure and production system for feather-sexing Korean native chickens, which is valuable for the practical application of feather-sexing in the poultry industry.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2019

Currently, feather-sexing, which is based on differences in feather development at hatching, is a widely used chick sexing method in the poultry industry. For effective chicken feather-sexing, paternal early-feathering (EF) chickens and maternal late-feathering (LF) chickens must be bred. Therefore, it is critical to identify the effect of EF and LF patterns on production traits in chickens. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyze and compare the production performances between 522 EF and 232 LF chickens in order to establish the Korean native chicken feather-sexing lines. The results showed that the survival rate of the LF group was significantly higher than that of the EF group from hatching to 52 weeks of age (P<0.05). Body weight, however, was not significantly different between the two groups at all ages. LF and EF groups did not significantly differ in age at first egg laying. However, the hen-day and hen-housed egg production of the LF group were significantly higher than those of EF group (P<0.01). No significant differences were found between the EF and LF groups in all egg quality indicators such as egg weight, eggshell color, albumin height and Haugh unit. Because the breeding target of Korean native commercial chicken is meat-type chicken, feather-sexing strains of Korean native chicken should be established using weighing-based paternal EF lines and laying-based maternal LF lines. Therefore, these results are critical for establishing desirable and effective feather-sexing strains.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.267-274
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• 2012

The method of sexing based on differences in the rate of feather growth provides a convenient and inexpensive approach. The locus of feather development gene (K) is located on the Z chromosome and can be utilized to produce phenotypes that distinguish between the sexes of chicks at hatching. To establish the auto-sexing native chicken strains, this study analyzed the genotype frequency of the feathering in domestic chicken breeds. The method of classification of slow- and rapid-feathering chickens was also investigated. In the slow-feathering chicks, the coverts were either the same length or longer than the primary wing feathers at hatching. However, the rapid-feathering chicks had the primary wing feathers that were longer than the coverts. The growth pattern of tail feather also distinctively differed between the rapid- and slow-feathering chicks after 5-days. The accuracy of wing feather sexing was about 98% compared with tail sexing. In domestic chicken breeds, Korean Black Cornish, Korean Rhode Island Red, and Korean Native Chicken-Red had both dominant (K) and recessive ($k^+$) feathering genes. The other breeds of chickens, Korean Brown Cornish, Ogol, White Leghorn, Korean Native Chicken-Yellow, -Gray, -White and -Black had only the recessive feathering gene ($k^+$). Consequently, feather sexing is available using the domestic chicken breeds. Establishing the maternal stock with dominant gene (K-) and paternal stock with recessive gene ($k^+k^+$), the slow-feathering characteristic is passed from mothers to their sons, and the rapid-feathering characteristic is inherited by daughters from their fathers.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.155-165
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• 2018

Chicken feathers could be classified into early-feathering (EF) and late-feathering (LF) depending on the development and patterns of the wing and tail feathers. Currently, feather-sexing is a widely used chick sexing method in the industry. This study was carried out to suggest the method of classifying of EF and LF chicks to establish auto-sexing Korean native chicken (KNC) strains. The development and morphology of wing feathers and tail feathers in 856 KNCs from hatching to 55-days old were analyzed to classify EF and LF chicks. We also performed PCR analysis using K-specific gene primers to confirm the agreement between the phenotypes and genotypes of EF and LF chickens. In the results, the EF chicks had long primaries and coverts, and there was a significant difference in length between primaries and coverts. The LF chicks had shorter primaries and coverts than the EF chicks, and showed little difference in the length between primaries and coverts. LF chicks could be classified into four groups: LF-Less, LF-Scant, LF-Equal and LF-Reverse according to their wing feather patterns. EF chicks had 1.5 times longer primaries than LF chicks until they were 15-days old, but the lengths were almost the same at 50-days old. The tail feathers of the EF chicks were apparent at 5-days old, but those of the LF chicks were short and indefinite at that time. When EF and LF chicks were classified by the length of primaries being more or less than 9 mm, the classification accuracies for EF and LF chicks were 96.2% and 85.4%, respectively, compared to the PCR results. In conclusion, juvenile EF and LF KNC showed distinct differences in feather development and morphology, and could be easily distinguished at one day-old.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2013

The vent sexing and the auto-sexing by using sex-linked traits are general sexing methods of day-old chicks. Currently, the feather sexing which is based on the differences in the feather characteristics at hatching is the representative sexing method of chicken, because the late-feathering is sex-linked trait. The feather sexing can be used if the breed has dominant feathering gene (K) in maternal and recessive gene ($k^+$) in paternal. Therefore it is necessary to identify the association of feathering genes and quantitative traits in chickens. In this study, we investigated the influence of the rate of feathering on productive traits in Korean Native Chicken. In results, there was no significant difference between early-feathering chickens and late-feathering chickens in reproductive performance such as fertility and hatchability. Livability, body weights, egg production, egg weight and egg quality also did not significantly differ between early- and late-feathering chickens. Age at first egg was the only trait of those tested in which significant difference was observed. The early-feathering chickens laid eggs 3 days earlier than late-feathering chicken. As a result, there is no influence of feathering phenotypes on productive performance in Korean Native Chickens. Consequentially, establishing the feather sexing strain is available using the Korean Native Chicken breed without considering of the effect of feathering genes on productive traits.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-104
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• 2002

닭의 전신장기에 림프종 발생이 특정인 마렉병(Marek's disease; MD)은 림프구성 백혈병(Lymphoid leukosis; LL)과 병리학적 소견이 매우 유사하여 감별이 요구된다. 마렉병 바이러스(Marek's disease virus; MDV)는 질병초기에서 후기에 이르기까지 모낭상피세포에 세포용해성 감염을 지속적으로 일으킨다. 세포용해성 감염이 있는 모낭상피세포는 변성내지 괴사되어 있고 핵내봉입체가 관찰된다. 또한 세포용해성 감염이 있는 모낭상피세포 바로 밑의 진피와 깃털 수질(feather pulp)내의 혈관주위에 림프구 침윤이 관찰된다. 이러한 피부병변은 MD의 특징적인 병변들로서 LL과 감별할 수 있는 결정적인 단서이다. 본 고에서는 MD에 관한 전반적인 것과 특히 MD 진단을 위한 피부병변의 유용성에 대해서 자세히 논하고자 한다. 양계산업에 문제를 야기하고 있는 림프구 증식성 종양은 크게 마렉병(Marek’s disease; MD)과 백혈병(Lymphoid leukosis; LL)이 있다. 이들 질환의 원인체들이 분리되기 전까지는 이들 질병들은 발병부위에 따라 질병명을 붙였다. 즉, 내부장기냐 근육에 발생한 것은 visceral lymphomatosis, 피부에 발생한 것은 skin leukosis, 말초신경의 병변은 poly­n neuritis, neuritis, neurolymphomatosis gallinarum, range paralyis로 불리었다. 또한 눈에 발생한 것은 blindness, gray eye, iritis, uveitis, ocular lymphomatosis라고 불리었다. 1961년에 Biggs는 이러한 림프구 증식성 질병을 마렉병과 백혈병 으로 분류하자는 제안을 하였고, 드디어 1960년대 중반에 림프구 증식성 병변 중의 일부에서 herpesvirus가 분리되어서 Biggs가 제안한 병명인 마렉병을 본격적으로 사용하게 되었다. MD는 마렉병 바이러스(Marek’s disease virus; MDV)가 원 인제로서 닭에 전염성이 강한 염증성에서 종양성의 병변을 내부장기, 피부, 근육, 안구, 중추신경계, 말초신경계 등에 일 으킨다. MDV는 림프종을 유발하기 때문에 처음에는 사람에서 림프종을 유발하는 Epstein-Bar 바이러스와 관련이 있을 것으로 생각되어 gamma-herpesvirus로 분류되었지만, MDV의 게놈 구조와 세포배양에서 빠르게 성장한다는 점 때문에 지금은 alpha-herpesvirus로 재분류 되었다. MDV는 바이러스 중화시험과 한천 겔 침강법에 의해서 3개의 혈청형으로 분류 된다. 혈청형 1은 종양원성 바이러스와 종양원성 바이러스의 계대배양에 의한 약독주가 있다. 혈청형 2는 자연적으로 발 생하는 비종양원성 닭의 MDV이고, 혈정형 3은 바종양원성 칠면조 herpesvirus (HVT)이다. 림프종을 유발하는 MDV 감염은 4개의 과정, 즉 초기 세포용해성 감염, 잠복감염, 후기 세포용해성 감염, 마지막으로 종양화로 나눌 수 있다. 감염의 경로를 보면, 흡입된 MDV는 폐의 대식세포에 감염한 후 전선 장기로 MDV를 전파 시킨다. 특히, 흉선, F냥, 비장 등의 림프구에 초기 세포용해성 감염을 일으키는데, B 림프구가 주로 감염된다. 세포용해성 감염음 방어하기 위해 몰려든 T 림프구가 활성화가 되면, T 세포도 감염되게 된다. 잠복감염은 여러 가지 사이토카인 등 을 포함한 면역반응에 의해서 일어나며, 이 때 잠복감염된 세포는 특히 혈중의 T 세포라고 한다. 혈중 MDV 감염세포 는 피부 모낭상피세포, 선장 등 상피세포 유래의 조직에 MDV를 전파 시켜서 이들 조직에서 후기 세포용해성 감염이 일어나게 한다. 후기 세포용해성 감염을 유발하는 것은 이러한 MDV가 감염된 혈중 림프구라는 증거는 혈중의 세포 외에는 감염성 바이러스가 없기 때문이다. 후기 세포용해성 감염이 있는 후 육안적 혹은 현미경적으로 검출이 가능한 림프종이 여러 장기에서 관찰된다. MDV가 감염되면 병변 발생부위에 따라서 다양한 임상증상이 발생한다. 즉 내부장기에 병변이 있을 경우는 침울, 체중감소, 산란율 저하 등이 발생하며, 신경계는 발생부위별 신경증상이 일어난다. 이러한 장기나 조직에서는 육안적으로 백색에서 회백색의 종양성 병변이 관찰된다. 말초신경에 병변이 발생한 경우에는 특히 좌골신경 및 신경총에서 호발하는데, 이들 조직은 편측성 혹은 양측성으로 종창되어 있다. 안구는 간혹 육안적으로 식별이 가능한 홍채 퇴색 및 증식 병변이 관찰된다. 피부형 MD는 특히 육용계에서 문제가 되고 있으며, 산란계의 내장형 MD가 발생한 경우에도 피부를 자세히 설펴보면 피부형 MD를 간혹 관찰할 수 있다. 피부형 MD는 모낭주위에 원형의 결절형태로 발생하는데, 이들 병변이 커지면 바로 옆의 병변과 융합 되어 큰 결절을 형성하기도 한다. (중략)