Genetic Approaches to Improving Health in Poultry

The genetics of a population, be it poultry or pigs, ultimately defines the maximum performance potential in all areas, including health. A major goal in poultry immunogenetics is the understanding and then the enhancement of innate immunity and resistance to disease. The models that the poultry industry has adopted to acquire the information needed to address this issue, the strategies of research used to discover the essential information, and the applications of genetic approaches to improve health in poultry are discussed in this paper.