Adeleke M.A., Peters S.O., Ozoje M.O., Ikeobi C.O.N., Bamgbose A.M., Adebambo O.A.
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria; Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, United States; Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Agriculture, P.
Adeleke, M.A., Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria; Peters, S.O., Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, United States; Ozoje, M.O., Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria; Ikeobi, C.O.N., Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria; Bamgbose, A.M., Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria; Adebambo, O.A., Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, P.M.B. 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
Six-hundred-and-seven-day-old chicks were generated from Nigerian local chickens consisting of three genotypes (Normal-feathered; Frizzled-feathered; Naked neck) and an exotic broiler breeder (Anak Titan) to evaluate growth performance for possible meat-type chicken development. Growth parameters measured were body weight, breast girth and keel length on weekly basis for 20 weeks. Effects of sire, dam and chick genotypes were significant (P < 0.001) on growth traits. At week 20, chickens sired by the Anak Titan weighed 1,614.82 g followed by Normal-feathered local chickens with body weight of 1,211.32 g. Progenies of Anak Titan and Naked neck dams weighed 1,761.96 and 1,292.80 g at week 20, respectively. Among purebreds, Anak Titan weighed 35. 05 g at day-old and had heaviest body weight of 2,360.29 g at 20 weeks compared to the three local strains. The average body weights for the crossbred, Normal-feathered×Anak Titan at day-old and week 20 were 36.39 and 1,577.63 g, respectively. This was followed by Anak Titan×Naked neck with 33.32 g at day-old and 1,514.14 g at week 20. Sex had significant effect (P < 0.05) at weeks 16 and 20 with the males having higher mean values than their female counterparts. This study revealed that crosses involving Anak Titan sire×Naked neck dam had highest growth performance, and there was no strain differences among the growth performance of purebred Nigerian local chickens. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
animal; article; body weight; breeding; chicken; cross breeding; female; genetic variability; genetics; genotype; growth, development and aging; male; methodology; Nigeria; statistical model; Animals; Body Weight; Breeding; Chickens; Crosses, Genetic; Female; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Linear Models; Male; Nigeria; Gallus gallus