EVALUATION OF GROWTH AND AGE AT FIRST LAY OF FAYOUMI AND WHITE LEGHORN F1 CHICKENS AND THEIR RECIPROCAL CROSSBREDS

Abstract

The study was evaluated comparative growth and age at first lay for Fayoumi and White Leghorn and their F1 crosses from day old to age at first egg. For this, a total of 176 chickens from each genotype as foundation stocks were randomly selected and naturally crossbred to obtain pure Fayoumi, White leghorn and their crosses. A total of 1000 eggs collected and incubated on the 7th day of post oviposition. Among hatched, a total of 150 chicks selected from each genotype for subsequent trial evaluation and brood in deep litter pens and reared on same diet in a completely randomized design. Birds were evaluated for body weight and weight gain, feed intake and FCR, body weight and age at first egg, egg weight, Heterosis, maternal and reciprocal effects. Effects of genotype on performance data were analyzed by SAS and significant difference was made by Duncan multiple range tests. Comparative evaluation made on all parameters were illustrated significant differences (P<0.05) throughout study period. Offspring from the combination of WLH cocks and Fayoumi hens had highest weight gain than any other combinations from 4-8 and 12-16 weeks. Pure White Leghorn and fayoumi lay larger egg and smaller egg size(41.67 and 34.00g), respectively and Highest and smallest Body weight at age of first egg were 1364.89 and 1178.36g in main crossbred and Fayoumi breed, respectively. All genotypes of the current study were efficient in feed conversion to body weight and maternal effect more favors Fayoumi hens during the brooder and leghorn hens during grower period. The positive maternal effect for egg weight at first egg observed between Fayoumi rooster and WLH hen and this crossbred increased egg size. As well, WLH female and Fayoumi male progenies revealed negative mean reciprocal effect for body weight at first egg lay and age at first egg that confirmed the earlier maturity over progenies obtained through reciprocal crossing. Therefore, it is concluded that WLH female and Fayoumi male cross could be used to develop potential egg-laying lines than their reciprocal crossbreds