+1 (202) 780-3397
Research Article - Research and Reports on Genetics (2018) Volume 2, Issue 2
Effects of sire additive genetic variance on growth rate within and between populations of Nigerian local chicken ecotypes.
The study was conducted at Akpehe poultry farm, Makurdi. Nigeria. Ten sires were mated to twenty dams each to evaluate the additive genetic effects of sires. Hatch and growth rate of their progenies were recorded weekly. The progenies were identified according to their dams and sire parents. The effects of sire on hatch weight and weight at week one were less varied. The interaction effects of sire and age groups were significant. Sire additive genetic effects were highly significant at weeks four, and increases significantly to week sixteen. At twenty weeks, the additive genetic effects of the sire were less varied, as environmental restrictions on the additive genetic potentials becomes more critical than additive genetic variability. Selection of superior males from sire lines for body weight gain can be applied at weeks four, and eight up to week sixteen.
Author(s): Gwaza DS, Dim NI, Momoh OM