Mode of inheritance of unselected traits in lines of chickens selected for high or low antibody response to sheep red blood cells. 2. Heterophils, lymphocytes, and hematocrits

Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, 24061-0306, USA.

The nuclear lines for this experiment were White Leghorns that had undergone long-term selection for high (HH) or low (LL) antibody response to sheep red blood cell antigen(s). Sixteen progeny types consisting of parental lines, reciprocal F1 and F2 crosses, and backcrosses were produced in a single hatch from age-contemporary parents. At 30 d of age, blood was obtained from a random sample of 10 males per progeny type (n = 160) and slides prepared for subsequent determination of number of heterophils and lymphocytes. Twelve days later, blood was collected from random samples of 10 males and 10 females per progeny type (n = 320) for measuring hematocrits. There were no differences between parental lines for heterophils, lymphocytes, or the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio. Reciprocal effects were evident in the F1 crosses and directional heterosis was present in one cross but not the other. Neither maternal heterosis nor recombination effects were significant for either heterophils or lymphocytes. Although hematocrits were similar for males and females and parental lines, sex-linked and recombination effects appeared to be important.