• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.361-366
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study was to assess the genetic variation and establish the relationship amongst breeds and strains using 7 chicken specific microsatellite markers. A total of 317 DNA samples from four Korean native chicken (KNC) strains (KR: Korean Native Red chicken strain, KY: Korean Native Yellow chicken strain, KL: Korean Native Black chicken strain, KO: Ogol chicken strain) and three introduced endemic chicken breeds (LE: Leghorn chicken breed, RI: Rhode Island Red chicken breed, CO: Cornish chicken breed). The size of microsatellite markers was decided using GeneMapper Software (v.4.0) after being analyzed using an ABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer. Frequencies of microsatellites markers were used to estimate heterozygosities and genetic distances. The lowest distance (0.074) was observed between the KY and KL breeds and the highest distance (0.779) between the KL and LE breeds. The KNC strains (KR, KY, KL) have comparatively near genetic distance each other. On the other side, each individual was not ramified to different groups and were spread evenly in phylogenetic dendrogram about all the KNC of each strain populations. But the endemic breed populations (LE, RI, CO) were ramified to different groups. The microsatellite polymorphism data were shown to be useful for assessing the genetic relationship between Korean native strains and other foreign breeds.

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