Is Fertility in Domestic Fowl Regulated by Inheritance?

THE problem of fertility in chickens has been studied by many investigators who have contributed much valuable information. During recent years, however, under improved methods of breeding more information has accumulated to indicate that low fertility is still an important problem of the poultry breeder. Even at the present time there is disagreement regarding the role that heredity may play here. There would therefore seem to be ample justification for further study of the inheritance phase of the problem in a closed flock. LITERATURE REVIEW Pearl and Surface (1909) found no evidence that fertility was inherited. Jull (1935) reported the correlation between the fertility of dams and the fertility of their daughters to be .19±.05 which was probably significant but far from intimate. Hays and Sanborn (1939) calculated the simple correlation between 466 mothers and 1452 daughters in fertility and obtained a value closely approaching zero. Incompatibility was first emphasized . . .