Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-fvjsw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-14T04:25:16.037Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Poultry breeding in Lithuania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

S. Janusonis,
R. Juodka and
A. Kiskiene
S. Janusonis*
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science of the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy, R. Zebenkos 12, LT-82317, Baisogala, Radviliskis distr., Lithuania
R. Juodka
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science of the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy, R. Zebenkos 12, LT-82317, Baisogala, Radviliskis distr., Lithuania
A. Kiskiene
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science of the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy, R. Zebenkos 12, LT-82317, Baisogala, Radviliskis distr., Lithuania
*
*Corresponding author: lgi@lgi.lt
Get access

Abstract

This paperprovides a short history of poultry production development in Lithuania and the results of breeding work achieved overa thirty-year period.

The year 1965 can be considered as the beginning of breeding work, when the development of specialised strains of laying hens began. On the basis of these strains, after testing them for combining ability, the first two-way cross of laying hens “Neringa” was developed in 1975. The egg production of the commercial layers of this cross on poultry farms in Lithuania was 239 eggs in 10 laying months. After nearly ten years' purposeful work with initial lines, “Hisex White” from the Euribrid company, a more productive three-way hybrid combination was developed (1984), which was denominated as the cross “Kelmò–1”. As a result of further breeding work, the laying rate of commercial hens increased to 276 eggs peryear.

In 1968, breeding work with the initial lines of meat poultry was started. Using lines developed by “Shaver”, “Euribrid”, and “Arbor Acres” companies, Lithuanian breeders developed 5 lines of Plymouth Rock and 3 lines of Cornish breeds.

On the basis of the results from the analysis of the combining ability, a four-way broiler cross “Baltika–4” was developed in 1971 with a daily weight gain of 26.8 grams, and a four-way cross “Baltika–10” with a daily weight gain of 37.5 grams was developed in 1983. During the period of 1989–1990, the experimental four-way cross with a daily weight gain of 41.8 grams was developed.

The activities of Lithuanian researchers in the fields of poultry breeding, nutrition and housing technologies together with the results of breeding and those of commercial farms, exerted a positive effect on the development of Lithuanian poultry production1.

One of the keys to success was the development of a closed vertically intergrated farming system, i.e. primary breeding farm, grandparent reproduction farm, parent stock reproduction farm, the multiplication results of which are used by production farms and large poultry farms.

As a results of complex work, Lithuanian state poultry production farms produced 13.5 kg of poultry meat and 273 eggs per capita in 1990.

Keywords

historylaying hensmeat-type poultrybreeding workheterosis

Information

Type
Regional Report
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 61 , Issue 2 , June 2005, pp. 308 - 316
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Agriculture In Lithuania 2003 (2004) Papers Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics. pp. 57–59, 104–113.Google Scholar
Buivydas, V., Rudokiene, D. and Juodka, R. (1989) Meat–type cross Baltika–14. Newsletter of the poultry production experimental station of the Baltic region. Panevezys.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K., Sirvydis, V., Stankeviciene, G., Motiekaitiene, D. and Mataityte, P. (1972) On the efficiency of accelerated selection and cock evaluation according to the egg production of their daughters. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 1: 22–4.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K., Janusonis, S., Rudokiene, D. and Mameniskiene, I. (1975) Transference of hereditary origin of relative and non-relative breeding cockerels' egg production and weight to their daughters. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 3: 61–87.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K., Janusonis, S., Mataityte, P. and Mameniskiene, I. (1977) General and specific combining ability of egg layers formed on the basis of the Dutch population. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 5: 49–65.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K., Janusonis, S. and Mameniskiene, I. (1982) Methodological recommendations how to use the laying poultry cross Kelme–1 in production. Newsletter of the poultry experimental farm of the Baltic region. Panevezys.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K., Janusonis, S. and Mameniskiene, I. (1983) Heterosis manifestation in two, -three, and four–line cross–bred layers. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 8: 19–22.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K. and Buivydas, V. (1983) Evaluation of the experimental broiler cross Baltika-10 (6483). Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 8: 9–13.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K. and Jackuniene, A. (1987) The development of a new strain from hen selection due to the Riboflavin concentration in egg yolk. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 11: 39–46.Google Scholar
Jackunas, K. and Vaisvila, A. (1989) Poultry production in Lithuania. Vilnius. pp. 56–84.Google Scholar
Janusonis, S.A. (1975) Some methods for the assessment of cockerels of laying–type strains and combining abilities. Summary of doctoral thesis of agricultural sciences. Tartu.Google Scholar
Janusonis, S. and Benediktaviciute, A. (1994) General and specific combining abilities of meat–type hens. Proceedings of the scientific conference (Relevant issues of animal production and veterinary).Kaunas. pp. 70–71.Google Scholar
Janusonis, S. (2001) Heterosis in the lines of specialised egg layers. Proceedings of the 7th Baltic animal breeding conferenceApril 17–18Tartu pp. 153–156.Google Scholar
Janusonis, S. (2001a) The essence of heterosis and its effect on productivity. Publishing house of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.Google Scholar
Juodka, R., Rudokiene, D. and Janusonis, S. (1992) Dependence of broiler cross performance upon maternal hybrid forms. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 14: 16–32.Google Scholar
Konovalov, V.J. (1973) Theory and practice of hybrid hens production in Japan. Animal husbandry 2: 89–94.Google Scholar
Maciulaitis, A.A. (1973) Assessment of Starbro cross meat–type strains combining ability for the production of broilers. Summary of the doctoral thesis of agricultural sciences. Kaunas.Google Scholar
Meskauskas, C. and Meskauskiene, A. (1985) Utilization of heterogeneous populations in producing new lines of meat–type hens. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 10: 18–21.Google Scholar
Meskauskas, C. and Meskauskiene, A. (1992) Development of Baltica–12 broiler cross. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 14: 3–15.Google Scholar
Paulaviciute, A. (1987) Effects of purposeful selection for highly developed embryos on subsequent performance of broiler strain chickens. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 11: 30–38.Google Scholar
Sirvydis, V. and Maciulaitis, A. (1973) The productivity of the Starbro cross pure–lines and hybrids. Collection of scientific works of the Baltic zone poultry research station 2: 68–80.Google Scholar
Sruoga, A. (1995) Immunogenetic variability of proteins in Anseriformes order of waterfowl. Thesis for habilitation. Vilnius.Google Scholar
Statistical yearbook OFlithuania 2003 (2004) Department of Statistics under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. pp. 355–388.Google Scholar