Title: The Use of Egg Length, Diameter and Index as Selection Method for Improvement of Hatched Weight of the Fulani and Tiv Local Chickens of Nigeria
Abstract: Egg length, diameter and index were measured on 800 eggs comprising 360 eggs of the Fulani hens and 440 eggs of the Tiv hens ecotype at Akpehe Poultry farm, Makurdi. The birds were housed singly in pens reared on deep litter and hand-mated. The birds were fed a 17% crude protein diet, vaccinated against prevalent diseases and routinely de-wormed. Eggs were collected in the morning and evening from individual pens and marked. Egg length and diameter were measured using a vernier caliper and weighed with a digital weighing balance. Egg index was calculated as a ratio of the length to the diameter.The data were subjected to regression and correlation analyses. The egg length, diameter and weight of the Tiv ecotype were significantly ( p<0.05) higher than that of the Fulani. While egg index of the Fulani hens was significantly higher than that of the Tiv hens. There were strong positive correlation between egg length, diameter and egg weight and hatched weights. Egg index was negatively correlated with egg weight, hatched weight and egg diameter.Thus, egg length and diameter could be used to select for egg weight; and hence hatched weight. .
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-10-27
Language: en
Type: article
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