Logistic growth curve of chickens: a comparison of techniques to estimate parameters

Abstract

Parameters of a mathematical function of growth, fit to the body weight curve of two randombred control populations of each sex of chickens from hatching through 45 weeks of age, were estimated. The logistic function was chosen from among growth formulae that express rate of gain as a function of weight at a given time and gain to be made. Two logistic parameters, growth-rate constant and age at the point of inflection, were estimated by the methods of sample quantiles and nonlinear regression from weekly mean body weights of 225 males and 281 females of the Rhode Island Red (RIR) line, and 164 males and 239 females of the White Leghorn (WL) line. Males had a larger growth-rate constant than females of the same line. The RIR line had a larger rate constant than the WL line, for each sex. Age at the point of inflection was similar for males and females in the RIR line, but smaller for males than females in the WL line. Sample quantiles yielded larger, less precise estimates of the growth-rate constant than nonlinear regression. Estimates of age at the point of inflection were usually smaller using sample quantiles.