TESTING HETEROTIC EFFECT AND STRAIN DIFFERENCES FOR CARCASS TRAITS OF SOME DEVELOPED LOCAL STRAINS OF CHICKEN AND THEIR CROSSES

Abstract

To analyze the improvement of carcass traits in some developed local chicken strains, crossbreeding experiments were carried out of eight strains of chicken (basic flocks): Golden Montazah (GM), Matrouh (MAT), Mandarah (MN), Silver Montazah (SM), Bahig (BAH), Gimmizah (GIM), Mamourah (MAM), Sina (SIN). Carcass traits to either basic flocks, their crosses and reciprocal crosses were determined. The main results showed that, Mamourah strain had significantly the heaviest live body weight compared to other strains; while, Mamourah, Golden Montazah and Mandarah strains had significantly higher carcass percentage (60.92, 60.85 and 60.44 %, respectively) and total edible parts percentage compared to other one. It had significantly lower total inedible parts percentage compared to other studied developed local chicken strains. GM×MN and GIM×MAM crosses had significantly heavier live body weight compared to other crosses. GM×SIN cross had significantly higher carcass percentage and total edible parts (%) in comparison with other studied crosses. This cross recorded higher value of carcass percentage compared to their parents. GM×MN cross had significantly higher liver percentage (2.60 %) and giblets percentage (5.52 %) in comparison with other crosses, and this cross recorded higher values of liver and giblets percentages compared to their parents. Reciprocal cross (MN×GM) had significantly higher live body weight, carcass percentage and total edible parts (%) compared to other reciprocal crosses. There are positive heterosis of live body weight in all crosses and reciprocal crosses, except MAM×GIM. On the contrary, there are negative heterosis of carcass and total edible parts percentages in all crosses, except GM×SIN cross had positive heterosis.