EVALUATION OF GROWTH TRAITS AND SEMEN QUALITY USING BIOCHEMICAL AND IGF-1 AS A MOLECULAR MARKER IN THREE GENOTYPES OF NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKENS
EVALUATION OF GROWTH TRAITS AND SEMEN QUALITY USING BIOCHEMICAL AND IGF-1 AS A MOLECULAR MARKER IN THREE GENOTYPES OF NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKENS
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Date
2015-01
Authors
OLUTUNMOGUN, Anthony Kayode
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Abstract
A study was conducted using 231 chicks (101 Normal feather, 56 frizzle and 74 Naked
neck) to evaluate growth traits and semen quality characteristics using biochemical and
IGF-1 as molecular marker on three genotypes (normal, frizzle and naked neck) of
Nigeria indigenous chickens. Each of the genotypes comprised of twenty five hens and
five roosters mated in the ratio of 1 rooster: 5 hens (1:5). Body weight (BW) and
measurements of breast girth (BG), shank length (SL), body length (BL), wattle length
(WL), wattle width (WW), comb length (CL), comb height (CH), wing span (WS) and
shank diameter (SD) were taken at an interval of 4 weeks starting from 8 weeks of age.
Semen quality characteristics (volume, colour, pH, concentration and live and dead ratio)
and morphological defects (acrosoma swelling, detached head, mid piece drop, bent tail,
curled tail and full tail) were evaluated thrice at 24, 28 and 32 weeks of age, respectively.
Blood samples for the haematological, biochemical and molecular studies (IGF-1) were
collected at 20 weeks of age. The data collected were subjected to General Linear Model
procedure of SAS. The result showed that mean BW between 8 and 20 weeks ranged
from 310.46g to 1117.80g and between 1096.80g and 1285.80g from 24 to 32 weeks
with significant (P<0.05) differences with the normal feathered birds having the superior
BW between 20 to 32 weeks of age. However, apart from BW and BL which were
significant at all ages, other body linear measurements were not significantly (P>0.05)
different at all the ages (8 to 32 weeks). The semen quality characteristics for the
parameters were significantly (P<0.05) different except for semen colour and semen pH
which were not significant (P>0.05) affected by the age of the birds. The morphological
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defects showed that most of them were significantly (P<0.05) different for all the
genotypes, but the mid piece was not significantly (P>0.05) different at 32 weeks. The
results of the haematological and biochemical profile show that only Chloride in the
biochemical parameter was significantly (P<0.05) different. The phenotypic correlation
coefficients between traits show that some traits had positive correlation but not
statistically significant (P>0.05) while others traits showed between moderate and high
correlations amongst themselves. Two alleles; A and B and three genotypes: AA, AB
and BB were observed with the A allele (0.72) being predominant and conforms to
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The relationship among IGF-1 marker, BW and semen
quality was significant (P<0.05). The AA genotype was superior in body weight over the
AB and BB genotypes at 28 and 32 weeks. Therefore, it is concluded that the normal
feather genotype did better in terms of BW and body linear measurements (BLM). The
semen characteristics revealed that as age increased the quality improved up to 28 weeks,
while the IGF-1 gene had a positive relationship with BW and semen characteristics
making it a good genetic marker for selection for growth traits (BW) and semen
characteristics in the Nigerian indigenous chickens.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT OF THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OFMASTERS OF SCIENCE IN ANIMAL SCIENCE.
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE, FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA.
Keywords
GROWTH TRAITS,, SEMEN QUALITY,, SEMEN QUALITY,, BIOCHEMICAL,, IGF-1,, MOLECULAR MARKER,, GENOTYPES,, NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKENS,