Feather growth, bodyweight and body temperature in broiler lines with different feathering rates

M Noubandiguim,K Erensoy,M Sarica

doi:10.4314/sajas.v51i1.10

Abstract

Two early feathering sire lines (B1 and B2), two late feathering dam lines (A1 and A3), and an early feathering dam line were evaluated to determine differences in growth, in lengths of primary feathers, in under-wing and rectal temperatures, and in feed intake until the birds were 20 weeks old. The chicks were hatched from eggs collected from 35-week-old hens of pure line broiler flocks. Data were collected at hatch, and at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 20 weeks old Thirty males and 30 females were evaluated for each line. The early feathering genotypes (A2, B1 and B2) had longer primary feathers until they were six weeks old. They also had higher under-wing and rectal temperatures and higher live weight compared with the late-feathering lines (A1 and A3) at one and two weeks old. The males were heavier than females at all ages. However, under-wing and rectal temperatures were similar in males and females at all ages. A positive correlation was observed between the length of primary feathers and live weight in A2, B1, and B2 at six weeks, whereas a negative correlation was observed between the rectal temperature and the length of primary feathers in A1 and A3 at 4 and 20 weeks old.

Highlights

In birds, feathers are important for physical protection, insulation, thermal control, sexual display, and flight (Cangar et al, 2008; Khosravinia, 2009)
The only difference in live weight was the A1 genotype being lighter than the other genotypes (P
After the birds were six weeks old, no significant differences in live weight were detected among the genotypes

Summary

Introduction

Feathers are important for physical protection, insulation, thermal control, sexual display, and flight (Cangar et al, 2008; Khosravinia, 2009). They provide considerable thermal insulation, which can contribute to maintaining body temperature within the normal range and have an influence on traits of economic importance (Fotsa et al, 2001; Khosravinia, 2009). A sex-linked gene (K), first reported by Serebrovsky (1922), affects the rate of feathering, and is responsible for the early and late feathering trait in chicken. Late feathering chicks have significantly shorter tail feathers than the early feathering genotypes at ten days old, whereas early feathering chicks have longer primary feathers than their later feathering counterparts (Darrow & Warren, 1944; Hays, 1952)

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