A century of poultry genetics

The 20th Century saw an astonishing advance in our understanding of genetics and the scientific basis of the genetic improvement of farm animals. The application of genetic principles to chickens in the 1950s and 1960s led to a rapid change in the productivity and efficiency of laying hens and broiler chickens, turkeys and ducks.   Subsequently, the application of increasingly powerful computers and sophisticated mathematical algorithms has increased the range of traits that could be successful