Genetic variation in packed cell volume associated with variations in response to cold temperature.
The heritability of packed red blood cell volume (PCV) and its correlation to gain in chicks brooded at a relatively cold (26.7 C) and a normal (32.2 C) environmental temperature were compared. The PCV of progeny from 28 sire families brooded at 26.7 C was 32.7% compared to 30.9% for progeny from the same sire families brooded at 32.2 C. The respective PCV heritabilities for the 26.7 C and 32.2 C groups were .51 and .57. There were no significant differences in gain for the groups brooded at different temperatures, and PCV was not correlated with gain.U
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male