Comparative Performance of Artificial Insemination in Broiler Breeders Housed on the Floor Versus Cages on Commercial Scale
Comparative Performance of Artificial Insemination in Broiler Breeders Housed on the Floor Versus Cages on Commercial Scale
Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan1, Sarzamin Khan1, Muhammad Shuaib1*, Sohaib ul Hassan2, Abubakar Sufyan3, Waqas Alam1, Muhammad Shahkar Uzair1, Aamir Khan4, Qudrat Ullah2, Muhammad Ayaz4 and Tayyab Khurshid5
ABSTRACT
Research trials were conducted at commercial farms (n=147,500) to explore the performance of artificial insemination technique at various frequencies in meat-type floored and cage-housed breeder flocks during 1st and 2nd egg-laying cycles under the controlled environment where the average house temperature and RH were 25-28oC;75-85% and 21-24oC; 50-65% during summer and winter seasons, respectively. Birds were divided into six groups; the cage-housed flocks were either artificially inseminated on each 5th (n=20,000) or 7th day (n=20,000) whereas the floored flocks were either naturally mated (n=10,000) or inseminated artificially on 7th (n=10,000) or 5th (n=49000) day during 1st and 2nd egg lay (n=38500) cycles. The egg lay and hatch data was recorded for complete flock cycles and analyzed using SPSS software. Artificially inseminated hens produced 16% more (P<0.01) chicks than naturally mated flocks for 25 weeks long post-peak phase (41-65 weeks) during 1st egg lay cycle without any significant decline in egg lay. Floored flocks produced 2% more eggs during pre-peak but 2% fewer eggs during peak and post-peak phases compared to cage-housed hens (P>0.05). The Hatchery percentile was the same before the peak and then improved (P<0.05) by 4 and 10% during and after the peak, respectively. Insemination frequency, cockerels’ body weight, and production cycle had no significant effect (P>0.05) on both parameters, however, the effect of cockerels’ body weight on hatch was considerable (P<0.09). Artificial insemination exploits the optimal role-play of both the male and female lines to overcome low fertility in commercial poultry and may replace natural mating as per business needs, particularly after the peak egg-laying period.
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