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Abstract
With rising feed costs and increasing concern about environmental impact, the broiler industry must continue to improve in order to meet the ever changing demands of consumers and government entities. To this effect, a focus on improving feed efficiency phenotypes will likely be the most effective long-term solution to mitigate these concerns. The objectives of this study are to characterize differences in broiler lines divergently selected against feed efficiency to identify the role of avian TOR in feed efficiency phenotypes as well as to investigate the growth patterns of broiler chickens utilizing CT technology. The phenotypic response of avTOR to stimulation or inhibition in pedigreed broiler lines. Both treatments were successful in eliciting an effect on feed efficiency traits. With the goal of developing a predictive equation, the body surface area of broilers was examine by CT scan. A growth curve was developed and existing predictive equations were assessed. Due to the high amount of variation and low accuracy of the results, a new equation must be developed that incorporates additional parameters to aid in the accuracy of prediction.