Egg Weight, Sex and Variety Effects on Body Weights and Growth Ability of Kedu Chickens

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of egg weight, sex, and varieties on body weights and growth ability of Kedu Chickens. The number of chicken used in each variety of the male Red comb Kedu and Black Comb Kedu Chickens were 5 and 4 heads, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of female was 24 and 20 heads, respectively. A total of 901 eggs were collected during the period of 11 weeks. Egg weight (EWG) and body weight (BW) were weighed individually. BW recorded were BW0, BW15, BW30, BW45, and BW60. The average daily gain was counted as the amount of weight has gained during the growing period (ADG0-15, ADG15-30, ADG30-45, ADG45-60, and ADG0-60). A linear mixed model was used to analyze the effect of EWG, sex, and variety on BW and ADG. EWG had a significant effect on BW0, BW15, and BW30. Variety was significant on BW0, BW45, BW60, ADG30-45, and ADG0-60. Sex was significant on most of the traits. Male Kedu chickens showed more superior than the female ones. EWG showed positive phenotypic correlations to most of BW measured.