Body Growth, Egg Production, Broodiness, Age at First Egg and Egg Size in Red Jungle Fowls, and an Attempt at Their Genetic Analyses by the ReciprocaI Crossing with White Leghorns

Abstract

The present study was conducted to clarify some performances of polygenic traits and their genetic aspects in the red jungle fowl (RJF) using the reciprocal Fis with White Leghorns (WL). Four mating systems, RJF (_??__??_)×RJF (_??__??_), WL (_??__??_)×WL (_??__??_), WL (_??__??_)×RJF (_??__??_), RJF (_??__??_)×WL (_??__??_), were appropriated for the genetic analyses of polygenic traits. All hens were raised in a single cage feeding ration and water ad libitum, and the performances were recorded individually for one year.The average weight of the baby chick involving both sexes was arranged in the order of WL×WL: 43.7, RJF×WL: 42.8, WL×RJF: 25.9, and RJF×RJF: 23.2g, and corresponding weight at 10 weeks of age being 950.5, 711.8, 666.7, and 389.4g, respectively.Survival egg production per year in the RJF×RJF, WL×WL, WL×RJF and RJF×WL averaged 28, 255, 184, and 148 eggs, respectively. Laying season of the jungle fowl was limited to the period from February to August. Eighty-seven % of the jungle fowl went broody. In the percentage of broody hens, a significant difference was observed between WL (_??__??_)× RJF (_??__??_): 11.1% and RJF (_??__??_)×WL (_??__??_): 63.0%.Pullets produced from the WL×WL, RJF×RJF, WL×RJF, and RJF×WL laid the first egg at 158.9, 298.3, 163.4, and 182.2 days of age. The difference between the crosses of WL×RJF and those of RJF×WL was statistically significant.Average body weight at first egg was arranged in the order of WL×WL: 1763, WL× RJF: 1348, RJF×WL: 1260, and RJF×RJF: 887g. Average weight of the eggs laid in March and August was the highest (57.4g) in the Leghorn, and the lowest (34.8g) in the red jungle fowl.From the results presented above, it is concluded that three polygenic traits, egg production, age at first egg and broodiness, participate in the sex-linked inheritance.