An integrated commercial poultry breeding framework for natural mating and animal welfare
- 1Frontier Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
Abstract
Current breeding programs were designed for intensive cage-based production and cannot fully support future welfare-oriented poultry systems. This review proposes a novel commercial poultry breeding framework explicitly designed for natural mating and free-range environments. The proposed system integrates several major interconnected core pillars: (1) fully automated phenotyping utilizing 3D computer vision, radio-frequency identification (RFID), and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to continuously collect individual-level behavioral and/or physiological data in open environments; (2) genome-based pedigree reconstruction to accurately infer parent-offspring relationships when natural mating precludes controlled artificial insemination; (3) genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) for precise breeding value estimation in large, randomly mating populations; (4) natural mating without predetermined mate allocation in large populations; and (5) multi-omics integration accounting for gene-environment interactions to enhance climate resilience. These pillars operate synergistically: automated phenotyping and genomic pedigree tracking generate high-density data streams that feed into genomic prediction models, while multi-omics approaches refine selection decisions under variable environmental conditions. Unlike conventional cage-based systems that rely on artificial insemination, this framework is designed to eliminate labor associated with artificial insemination and enables integration of pedigreed pure lines and great-grandparent populations. Conditional on active genomic management of reproductive skew, it has the potential to sustain high genetic diversity within large natural-mating cohorts, thereby offering prospects for reduced long-term operational costs alongside improved environmental adaptability and bird welfare. Key transition challenges include high initial capital investment in automated phenotyping infrastructure and the prerequisite for robust genomic selection pipelines. To our knowledge, this is the first review proposing an integrated commercial breeding framework specifically designed for free-range natural mating systems.
Related
- Phylogenetic Analysis of the Most Common Chicken Coccidia, Eimeria acervulina, Isolated From Commercial Poultry Farms in Bangladesh
- Emergence of Novel Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus A(H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b in Commercial Poultry, Bangladesh
- Using high frequency GPS data to assess wintering goose proximity to commercial poultry facilities on the Delmarva peninsula for avian influenza risk management and surveillance
- YGEP: An Integrated Web Platform for Genomic Evaluation and Intelligent Breeding in Yak
- Integrated Drought-Response Profiles Reveal Genotypic Variation Among Commercial Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Genotypes.
BibTeX
@article{hou2026integrated,
title = {{An integrated commercial poultry breeding framework for natural mating and animal welfare}},
author = {Zhuo-Cheng Hou},
journal = {Poultry Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.psj.2026.107938},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.107938},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - An integrated commercial poultry breeding framework for natural mating and animal welfare
AU - Zhuo-Cheng Hou
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/10
JO - Poultry Science
DO - 10.1016/j.psj.2026.107938
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.107938
AB - Current breeding programs were designed for intensive cage-based production and cannot fully support future welfare-oriented poultry systems. This review proposes a novel commercial poultry breeding framework explicitly designed for natural mating and free-range environments. The proposed system integrates several major interconnected core pillars: (1) fully automated phenotyping utilizing 3D computer vision, radio-frequency identification (RFID), and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to continuously collect individual-level behavioral and/or physiological data in open environments; (2) genome-based pedigree reconstruction to accurately infer parent-offspring relationships when natural mating precludes controlled artificial insemination; (3) genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) for precise breeding value estimation in large, randomly mating populations; (4) natural mating without predetermined mate allocation in large populations; and (5) multi-omics integration accounting for gene-environment interactions to enhance climate resilience. These pillars operate synergistically: automated phenotyping and genomic pedigree tracking generate high-density data streams that feed into genomic prediction models, while multi-omics approaches refine selection decisions under variable environmental conditions. Unlike conventional cage-based systems that rely on artificial insemination, this framework is designed to eliminate labor associated with artificial insemination and enables integration of pedigreed pure lines and great-grandparent populations. Conditional on active genomic management of reproductive skew, it has the potential to sustain high genetic diversity within large natural-mating cohorts, thereby offering prospects for reduced long-term operational costs alongside improved environmental adaptability and bird welfare. Key transition challenges include high initial capital investment in automated phenotyping infrastructure and the prerequisite for robust genomic selection pipelines. To our knowledge, this is the first review proposing an integrated commercial breeding framework specifically designed for free-range natural mating systems.
SN - 0032-5791
SN - 1525-3171
ER -