Abstract
The study was conducted to investigate reproductive potentialities, meat yield and egg quality characteristics of indigenous dwarf chicken (IDC) of Bangladesh under intensive management condition. The experiment was conducted at BAU Poultry farm for a period of 26 months from March 2013 to April 2015.A total of 499 eggs were incubated to examine hatching performance, 64 eggs were used to determine egg quality characteristics and 33 birds of 24 weeks age were slaughtered to investigate meat yield characteristics. The mean of hatching egg weight and IDC chick weight were 39.81g and 26.68g, respectively. Estimated chick weight was 67.19% of the egg weight. The average mature body weight and age at sexual maturity of IDC was 1093.20 g and 166.53 d, respectively. The average hen day egg production of IDC up to 32 and 75 weeks of age was 55.22 and 37.43%, respectively. The estimated fertility and hatchability of IDC eggs were 78.36 and 71.80%. Among the meat yield parameters considered, dressed weight, breast weight and thigh meat weight varied significantly (P<0.05) between the males from IDC and the chicken with normal size shank (CNS). IDC also differed significantly (P<0.01) from CNS in terms of neck length (P<0.01) and drumstick bone length. Egg quality parameters like egg weight, shape index, yolk diameter and egg breaking strength varied significantly (P<0.05) between IDC and CNS. In addition, eggs of IDC and CNS showed significant (P<0.01) variation in dry albumen weight and albumen dry matter percent. In conclusion, the findings of the present study provided with some basic information about the potentialities of IDC which could be utilized in future breeding program.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. December 2015, 1(3): 416-423
Highlights
Indigenous chicken contributes to rural livelihood, woman empowerment, food security, and still remains main genetic resource of Bangladesh
Year round egg production is within the range of the findings of Yeasmin and Howlider (1998) and Yeasmin et al (2003) where they found hen day egg production of indigenous dwarf chicken (IDC) were 33.50 and 43.26% respectively
Yeasmin and Howlider (1998) and Yeasmin et al (2003) obtained egg weight of IDC were 39.12 and 37.10 g respectively and 39.99 and 37.76 g for NSC respectively which was agreed by the present findings
Summary
Indigenous chicken contributes to rural livelihood, woman empowerment, food security, and still remains main genetic resource of Bangladesh. Yeasmin and Howlider (1998) reported dwarf gene in Bangladeshi indigenous chickens were partially recessive autosomal in nature. The economic success of a laying flock exclusively depends on the total number of quality eggs produced. Embryonic development of hen’s egg is specially dependent on traits like egg weight, yolk and albumen weights and genotype (Onagbesan et al, 2007).So far there are very limited research findings and lack of information on reproduction, egg quality and meat yield characteristics on autosomal dwarf chickens. The potentiality of adw gene was not sufficiently explored and exploited in improving economic traits of indigenous chicken of Bangladesh. The present study was aimed for the reproductive potentialities, meat yield and egg quality characteristics of Bangladeshi IDC under intensive management condition
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