title: Growth performance of crossbred naked neck and normal feathered laying hens kept in tropical villages.
abstract: 1. Two experiments were conducted to develop naked neck (Na/na) and normal feathered (na/na) crossbreds and compare their growth performance, linear body measurements and carcass characteristics in the first and second filial generations. 2. In the first experiment, 4 indigenous naked neck males (Na/na) were mated to 36 Lohmann commercial females (na/na) in a ratio of 1:9. The two genotypes (Na/na, na/na) were allocated randomly according to batches of hatch, sire lines and sex to three different villages. 3. In the second experiment, 10 males and 100 females of F1 Na/na birds were selected and mated inter se in a ratio of 1:10. The three genotypes (Na/Na, Na/na and na/na) were compared in a randomised complete block design experiment, with the three villages, hatch and sex as blocks and the three genotypes as treatments. F1 Na/na birds had significantly higher (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio, body weight, body weight gain, linear body measurements, survivability and carcass yield than their na/na counterparts. 4. In the F2 generation, Na/Na and Na/na birds had significantly higher (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio, body weight, body weight gain, linear body measurements, survivability and carcass yield compared to their na/na counterparts. 5. The birds showing the naked neck phenotype appeared to show superior performance compared to normal feathered birds and could be exploited for potential utilisation in local poultry production.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Animal Science , KNUST , Kumasi , Ghana.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adomako
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Olympio
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hagan
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hamidu
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D005241:Feathers / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014329:Tropical Climate