A Comparative Study on Growth Parameters of Three Broiler Chicken Strains from Jordan

Abstract

The development of the poultry industry in the last years demanded the evaluation of different broiler chicken strains in order to improve production efficiency and welfare, considering physiological and livability parameters. Thus, the present study aimed to compare the growth performance and the livability of three broiler strains (Lohmann, Hubbard and Ross). All birds were fed a similar standard commercial diet ad libitum, and were separately allocated to three treatment groups. Live body weight (LBW) and body weight gain (BWG) were weekly recorded. Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and livability (%) were calculated at the end of the experiment. The mean weekly LBW increased significantly in all broiler strains (p<0.05). The mean final LBW (kg/bird) of birds was significantly (p<0.05) higher in Hubbard (1.81±0.20) and Ross (1.80±0.18) than in Lohmann (1.69±0.06). Mean total BWG (kg/bird) was also significantly (p<0.05) higher in Hubbard (1.67±0.20), and Ross (1.64±0.18) than in Lohmann (1.54±0.06). Broiler strain had no significant effect on total FI and FCR. FCR values were 2.20±0.40, 2.21±0.53 and 2.44±0.65 g feed/g gain in Hubbard, Lohmann, and Ross, respectively. The livability of the three strains did not show any significant differences among the treatment groups, with values of 95.13% (Ross), 95.64% (Lohmann), and 92.94% (Hubbard). In conclusion, the present findings indicated that production performance of broiler chickens are considerably affected by their strains, and Hubbard achieved greater LBW, and BWG and the best FCR as compared to the Lohmann, and Ross strains.