Egg production performance of first and second filial generation naked neck (NaNa, NaNa) and normal feathered (NaNa) birds of a cross between indigenous naked neck (NaNa, NaNa) males and exotic commercial females (NaNa)
Department of Animal Science, P.M.B., KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana; Department of Animal Science, P.M.B, UCC, Cape Coast, Ghana
Adomako, K., Department of Animal Science, P.M.B., KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana; Hagan, J.K., Department of Animal Science, P.M.B, UCC, Cape Coast, Ghana; Olympio, O.S., Department of Animal Science, P.M.B., KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
An experiment was conducted to compare the laying performance of first and second filial generation birds (naked neck, Nana and NaNa and normal feathered, nana) of a cross between indigenous naked neck males (Nana) and exotic commercial females (nana) under semi-intensive system. The crossing produced offspring in the proportion of 48.7% Nana (390 birds) to 51.3% nana (410 birds) in the F1 generation. The two genotypes (Nana, nana) were compared in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) experiment, with the three villages, where the birds were raised, as blocks and the two genotypes (Nana, nana) as treatments. Each block had 240 birds, 120 each of Nana and nana layers. Nana birds were significantly (P<0.05) higher in number of eggs per clutch, hen-housed and hen-day rates of lay, egg size and survivability, than their nana counterparts. However, age at first egg and egg size to body weight ratio were significantly better in the nana birds compared to the Nana ones. In the second mating, males and females of F1 Nana birds were selected and mated inter se. This produced 16.8% NaNa (202 birds), 54.5% Nana (654 birds) and 28.7% nana (344 birds) offspring in the F2 generation and these were compared in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) experiment, with the three villages, where the birds were raised, as blocks and the three genotypes (NaNa, Nana and nana) as treatments. Each block had 270 birds, 90 each of NaNa, Nana and nana layers. It was observed that Nana and NaNa birds were significantly (P<0.05) higher in number of eggs per clutch, hen-housed and hen-day rates of lay, egg size and survivability. Using birds that show the naked neck phenotype in local chicken production will enhance egg production performance significantly.