EFFECT OF GENOTYPE, SEX AND AGE AND ITS ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY WEIGHTS AND BODY MEASUREMENTS IN INDIGENOUS CHICKEN POPULATION

Abstract

A study was carried out to determine the effect of genotype, sex and age and its association between body weights and body measurements in indigenous chicken population. The parent stocks were sourced from the local markets within Dutsin-Ma and its environs. Each parental genetic group was separated into breeding groups of 1:10 cock to hen, respectively on a deep litter. Performance data of body weight (BW), chest girth (CG), body length (BL), shank length (SL), shank circumference (SL), wing length (WL) and keel length (KL), respectively of 120 progenies generated at 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks of age were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (SAS, Version, 9.1). Generally, body increased with age. The overall mean obtained were 659.64 g, 20.93 cm, 22.12 cm, 8.00 cm, 11.93 cm, and 8.24 cm for body weight, chest girth, body length, shank length, wing length and keel length, respectively. The effect of genotype on body weight and body measurements were significant (P<0.05). The naked neck chickens had higher values for all the morphological traits, followed by normal and frizzle feathered birds, respectively. Males had significantly (P<0.05) higher body weights and body measurements than females. The phenotypic correlations among growth traits were positive moderate, high and significant (P<0.05). The estimates ranged from 0.49 to 0.73 between body weight and body measurements. Highest estimates were observed between body weight and chest girth (rp=0.73) in naked neck chicken. Correlations between sexes were generally high and positive and ranged from 0.61 to 0.77 and 0.56 to 0.70 in males and females, respectively. The highest (rp=0.77) positive coefficient was recorded between body weight and wing length in males and between body weight and body length (rp=0.71) in the females. This implies that selection for improvement in the linear body traits could lead to improvement in body weight of these chickens.