Development of divergent lines of lean and fat broilers using plasma very low density lipoprotein concentration as selection criterion: the first three generations.

Male and female broilers of a pure line were selected over three generations on the basis of high or low plasma very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentration at 7 weeks of age. Heritability of plasma VLDL was high (h2 = 0.50 +/- 0.08) and by the third generation mean values in the two lines differed by a factor of 2.5. Correlated responses to selection for low plasma VLDL included a relative decrease in abdominal fat and total body lipid and an increase in body protein, together with improvements in the conversion efficiencies of food and dietary protein. There was no difference between the lines in 7-week body weight.