Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria; Department of Animal Science, Delta State University, Asaba Campus, Nigeria; Department of Animal Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
Ogbu, C.C., Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria; Udeh, I., Department of Animal Science, Delta State University, Asaba Campus, Nigeria; Nwakpu, P.C., Department of Animal Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
The performance of two commercial egg type chickens, the indigenous chickens, and their random bred progenies in body weight (BWT), body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), body weight at first egg (BWFE), weight of first egg (WTFE) and age at sexual maturity (ASM) were compared. The objectives were to evaluate the effect of within strain mating on the performance traits and to compare the cost of raising parents and progenies to point of lay. Results indicate significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in all the traits studied in the progenies. Percentages of inbreeding depression (ID %) were significant (p ≤ 0.05) for BWG1 in strains 1, 2 and 3 at tcal 3.57, 9.37 and 10.00, respectively; BWG2 in strains 1 and 3 at tcal 3.42 and 10.44, respectively; BWG3 in strains 1 and 2 at tcal 12.80 and 16.46, respectively; FCR1 and FCR2 at tcal -3.89 and -5.50, respectively in strain 1, -7.41 and -7.68, respectively in strain 2, and -4.93 and -9.12, respectively in strain 3. Ttab, 0.95 for error df6 for all values was 2.447. These changes resulted in decreases in feed efficiency, reduced BWFE and WTFE, later age at sexual maturity and increase in cost of production to point of lay of the progenies. There was greater loss of performance in progenies of the commercial hybrids than for those of the local strain. Therefore, exotic commercial hybrid chickens should not be used as breeders for the production of replacement day-old chicks for commercial egg production.