COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EGGMORPHOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF HENS OF DIFFERENT GENOTYPES

Abstract

The paper shows the results of assessing the quality of eggs according to morphometric and morphological parameters of purebred hens of meat and egg productivity, as well as their crossbreeds of the first generation in order to compare them, to identify significant differences in egg quality, with subsequent application of the results for forecasts of hatching house work for obtaining of a model population of chickens and the possibility to search for candidate genes responsible for the commercial qualities of eggs. Collection of morphological and biophysical parameters was carried out on a highly sensitive analyzer Stable Micro Systems, laboratory electronic scales Ohaus and using caliper. Analysis of eggs obtained from 3 groups of analogue hens, namely Russian white (egg), Cornish white (meat) hens and their F1 offspring at the age of 44-52 weeks, showed their compliance with incubation and commercial quality parametres. Significant differences were established between the experimental groups in terms of shape index and egg weight, shell weight, and dense protein weight. A significant difference was found in regards to shell thickness: crossbred individuals were 10% inferior to their purebred analogues. As far as shell color is concerned, crossbred hens inherited characteristics from both parent breeds. Analysis of liquid components of the egg showed the genotype influence only on yolk index, whereasyolk color and protein quality according to Haugh units were without significant differences. Crossing Cornish meat breed and Russian White egg breed does not adversely affect the quality of the eggs. The obtained result confirms to some extent the splitting of genes when obtaining a model population of chickens by crossing parental individuals of opposite directions of productivity.