Crossbreeding Components for Growth Traits in Crosses between Marshall Parent Stock Broilers and Nigerian Local Chickens
Crossbreeding Components for Growth Traits in Crosses between Marshall Parent Stock Broilers and Nigerian Local Chickens
Philip Okpako Akporhuarho, Ufuoma Godstime Sorhue*, Adimabua Mike Moemeka, Everest Otabunor Atadiose, Onyinye Stella Onwumere-Idolor, Ifeanyichukwu Udeh
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to investigate the effect of cross-breeding local and exotic chickens, along with their reciprocal crosses, on growth performance. A crossbreeding experiment was carried out between two genotypes: Nigeria (normal-feathered light ecotype Lc × Lc) and exotic chicken (Marshal parent stock broiler or Ex × Ex), along with their reciprocal crosses (Ex × Lc) and (Lc × Ex). Four hundred and fifty-six (456) chicks, comprising 114 Ex × Ex, 114 Lc × Lc, 114 Ex × Lc, and 114 Lc × Ex, were utilized. All the birds were raised from day-old to 22 weeks of age, and parameters such as body weight gain, feed intake, direct additive maternal breed effects, and direct heterosis were measured. The genotype effect was significant (P<0.05) for all the parameters studied. The crossbred groups Ex × Ex and Lc × Ex were significantly superior (P<0.05) to the local chickens. The effects of heterosis were significant (P<0.05). The results obtained for Lc × Ex in comparison to Ex × Lc confirmed the reciprocal effect in the analysis. Local chicken sires x exotic chicken dams were superior to exotic chicken sires × local chicken dams. This study suggests that using local sires to cross exotic dams results in better heterosis than using exotic males with local females. The outcome of this study could allow for higher genetic gains in a shorter time due to the maternal effects of exotic chickens, thus achieving the desired objective more quickly when exotic dams are mated to Nigerian normal-feathered sires.
Keywords | Growth performance, Crossbreeding, Heterosis, Maternal effects, Local sires, Reciprocal crosses
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