STUDIES ON FERTILITY AND HATCHABILITY IN RHODE ISLAND RED (RIR) AND RHODE ISLAND WHITE (RIW) CHICKENS
STUDIES ON FERTILITY AND HATCHABILITY IN RHODE ISLAND RED (RIR) AND RHODE ISLAND WHITE (RIW) CHICKENS
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Date
1998-12
Authors
MORONFOYE, MUFUTAU OLA
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Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of season
and age of hen on reproductive traits in the Rhode Island Red (RIR)
and Rhode Island White (RIW) strains of chickens. In the two
experiments, data were obtained from two hundred and fifty two
(252) hens and twenty eight (28) cocks. The traits measured were
fertility, hatchability of all eggs, hatchability of fertile eggs
and chick weight at hatching. The percentages of the reproductive
traits were transformed on arc sine scale.
The mean monthly/seasonal percent fertility, hatchability of all
eggs and hatchability of fertile eggs were 87.83% and 85.03%,
71.57% and 71.06%, 81.25% and 84.35% respectively for the RIR and
RIW strains. Those obtained on the transformed scale were 69.75%
and 67.10%, 58.35% and 58.69%, 64 80% and 67.67% respectively for
the RIR and RIW strains. The differences within and between the
strains in this experiment for fertility, hatchability of all eggs
and of fertile eggs were not significant (P>0.05) with respect to
month and season, though S.E and coefficient of variability were
slightly higher in the RIW strain than in the RIR strain.
The mean percent fertility, hatchability of all eggs and of fertile
eggs at different ages were found not to be significantly different
in the RIR strain. In the RIW strain, significant age difference
was not observed in fertility, however, age of hen was found to
have a significant effect (P<0.001) on the hatchability of all eggs
and of fertile eggs. A negative and no significant relationship
was obtained with Pearson corellation between age and percent
fertility, hatchability of all eggs, hatchability of fertile eggs
and day old chick weight (ACW). The overall mean percent
fertility, hatchability of all eggs and hatchability of fertile
eggs over the age group studied (56 - 72) weeks were 80.89% and
89.93%, 43.97% and 53.95%, 49.00% and 57.45% respectively for the
RIR and RIW strains on the untransformed scale. The values on the
transformed scale were 71.80% and 79.46%, 39.15% and 47.98%, 43.48%
and 51.14% respectively for the RIR and RIW strains. The
differences between strains in this experiment for fertility,
hatchability of all eggs and of fertile eggs were significant
(P<0.001).
In the two strains, age of hen was found to have a significant
effeet(P<0.001) on the average day old chickweight. The over-all
average day old chick weight (ACW) over the age group studied was
35.65g for the RIR chickens and 34.97g for the RIW chickens.
Difference between the strains for ACW was found to be significant
(P<0.01).
In the two experiments, fertility percentages obtained for the two
strains were generally high and encouraging. Hatchability
percentages as expressed to all and fertile eggs on the other hand
were higher in experiment 1 (effect of season on fertility and
hatchability) and lower in experiment 2 (effect of age of hen on
hatchability and chickweight). Failure of fertile eggs to hatch or
early embryonic death accounts for the low hatchability percentages
obtained for the RIR and RIW strains in experiment 2 rather than
infertility. Thus the overall management of the birds on the farm
needs to be generally improved.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER
OF SCIENCE (M.Sc) IN ANIMAL SCIENCE (BREEDING AND GENETICS)
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA
DECEMBER, 1998
Keywords
FERTILITY,, HATCHABILITY,, RHODE ISLAND RED,, RHODE ISLAND,, WHITE (RIW) CHICKENS