RESUMO
1. The effect of divergent selection for high (H) or low (L) incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) for 7 generations on blood calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) concentrations was studied. 2. The chicks used in this experiment were obtained from diallel crosses between H and L lines to obtain HH, HL, LH, and LL lines. A random-bred control (CC) line was also used. 3. The chicks were reared under standard management conditions. Body weight and plasma Ca and P concentrations were measured at 2, 4, and 7 weeks of age. Incidence of TD was recorded at 4 and 7 weeks. 4. Although HH birds had lower body weights than the other lines, there was no significant effect attributable to line selection for body weight at 2, 4, and 7 weeks of age. 5. The LL line birds had no incidence of TD at 4 weeks of age; however, the incidence of TD in LL line birds was 5.3% at 7 weeks of age. The incidence of TD was higher in HH line birds than the other line at 4 and 7 weeks of age. 6. Plasma Ca and P concentrations and Ca:P ratios increased with age. These results showed that HH line birds had higher plasma Ca, lower plasma P and higher Ca:P ratios than birds of the LL line.