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Performance of 4-way cross-bred Ethiopian and exotic chicken breeds in two management systems in Southern Ethiopia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2012

Fassill Bekele Ambaye*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, PO Box 5, Hawassa, Ethiopia
Tormod Ådnøy
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Arboretveien 6, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
Hans Magnus Gjøen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Arboretveien 6, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
Jessica Kathle
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Arboretveien 6, PO Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
Girma Abebe
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, PO Box 5, Hawassa, Ethiopia
*
Correspondence to: Fassill Bekele Ambaye, Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Hawassa College of Agriculture, PO Box 5, Hawassa, Ethiopia. email: fassillbekele@yahoo.com
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Summary

Two indigenous chicken breeds: naked neck (N) and local white (W) feathered chicken called Netch as sire lines and two exotic chicken breeds: Fayoumi (F) and Rhode Island Red (R) as dam lines were crossed with the objective of producing 4-way cross-bred chicken population, which will later be used as base population to produce synthetic chickens. They were tested under on-station conditions in a college farm and under on-farm conditions at several typical village farms. Mortality during brooding period was lower under on-farm than on-station conditions, which may be owing to housing of the chicks in hay box-brooder on-farm and the coccidiosis infection on-station. However, higher on-farm mortality was observed during the laying period than on-station; mainly because of predation. There was a significant difference between the two systems in recorded body weight from early age to maturity. Age at first egg was lower on-farm than on-station. Average number of eggs produced was not significantly different; although chickens on-station laid more eggs than those on-farm. Hen-housed egg production was lower on-farm than on-station owing to higher mortality in the on-farm system.

Résumé

Les mâles reproducteurs de deux races de poules indigènes (les Naked-Neck et les poules blanches locales appelées Netch) et les mères de deux races de poules exotiques (les Fayoumi et les Rhode Island Red) ont été croisés pour obtenir une population de poules croisées à quatre voies utilisable par la suite en tant que population de base pour la production de poules synthétiques. On a testé ces poules dans des conditions d'élevage en station, dans une ferme universitaire, et au niveau des exploitations, dans plusieurs fermes villageoises typiques. La mortalité pendant la couvaison était plus faible à la ferme que dans la station en raison probablement de la collocation des poussins dans une couveuse de foin à la ferme et de l'infection de coccidiose dans la station. Cependant, durant la période de la ponte, la mortalité était plus élevée à la ferme que dans la station en raison principalement des prédateurs. La différence entre les deux systèmes était significative pour ce qui concerne le poids corporel enregistré de la naissance à la maturité. Le premier œuf était pondu plus tôt à la ferme que dans la station. Le nombre moyen d'œufs produits n'était pas très différent même si les poules dans la station pondaient plus d'œufs que les poules à la ferme. La production d'œufs des poules logées était plus faible à la ferme que dans la station en raison de la mortalité plus élevée du système à la ferme.

Resumen

Se cruzaron dos razas autóctonas de gallinas: la de cuello desnudo (N) y la de plumaje blanco local (W), llamada Netch, como líneas paternas, y dos razas exóticas, la Fayoumi (F) y la Rhode Island Red (R), como líneas maternas, con el objetivo de producir una población mestiza de gallina de cuádruple origen que sirviera después como población base para producir pollos sintéticos. La investigación se realizó en las condiciones de estudio de una estación experimental de la universidad y en las condiciones típicas de las fincas agrícolas en varias granjas rurales. La mortalidad durante el período de incubación fue menor en las granjas que en la estación experimental, lo cual pudo ser debido al alojamiento de los polluelos en cajas incubadoras de heno en las granjas y a la infección por coccidiosis en la estación experimental. Sin embargo, en las granjas se observó una mayor mortalidad durante el período de puesta que en la estación experimental, principalmente por causa de los depredadores. Hubo una importante diferencia entre los dos sistemas en cuanto al peso corporal registrado desde la edad temprana hasta la madurez. La edad al primer huevo fue menor en las granjas que en la estación. El número medio de huevos producidos no varió de forma significativa si bien las gallinas de la estación pusieron más huevos que las de las granjas. La producción de huevos de las gallinas en jaulas fue menor en las granjas que en la estación debido a una mayor mortalidad en el sistema de las granjas.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2012

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