The history of broiler breeding in Türkiye and the overall performance of ANADOLU-T pure lines, parents and hybrids

Türkiye’s broiler breeding efforts have evolved significantly, with the ANADOLU-T project marking a critical step toward reducing reliance on imported breeding stock, which currently supplies 97-98% of broiler parent stock (PS). The ANADOLU-T pure lines (PL), comprising three dam lines (A1, A2, A3) and two sire lines (B1, B2), were developed through rigorous selection and crossbreeding. At 8 weeks, ANADOLU-T PS breeders achieved body weights of 2586.7 g (females) and 3329.8 g (males), lower than ROSS-308 (2680 g and 3515 g) and COBB-500 (2850 g and 3340 g). By 60 weeks, ANADOLU-T PS females weighed 4117.3 g, between ROSS-308 (4045 g) and COBB-500 (4210 g), while males lagged behind. Regarding reproductive performance, ANADOLU-T PS laid 161.9 eggs over 64 weeks, which is 23 and 11 eggs fewer than ROSS-308 and COBB-500, respectively. Fertility was competitive, but hatchability of fertile eggs (+11.7%) and chick yield (+34.4 chicks) were lower, likely due to genetic limitations in the A2 dam line. ANADOLU-T PS females was also inferior in feed efficiency, consuming 7.7-8.2 kg more feed per 100 hatching eggs and 4.3-5.7 kg more feed per 100 chicks compared to ROSS-308 and COBB-500. Growth performance of ANADOLU-T hybrids at 6 weeks reached 2437 g in sire lines, but was 310.2 g lower than ROSS-308. Feed conversion ratios improved across generations, with ANADOLU-T PLs reaching 1.44-1.48 at 5 weeks, but were still less efficient than ROSS-308. Livability remained between 93.8-100%, and breast ratios improved but remained below commercial hybrids. In conclusion, the ANADOLU-T national breeding project demonstrates Türkiye's potential to develop broiler lines, but further improvements in growth, feed efficiency and reproductive performance are needed to compete on a global scale. Continued investment in genetic diversity, advanced breeding technologies, and optimized management practices will be essential for achieving self-sufficiency and global competitiveness in poultry production.