Effect of sex-linked feathering genes on grow-out performance of Baladi chickens

Abstract

Eight hundred late and early feathering Saudi Arabian Baladi chicks were used to assess the effect of feathering genotype on grow out performance. 400 Leghorn chicks were also used in this study for comparison. The chicks in each genotypic group were wing banded, individually weighed and randomly alloted to 4 electrically heated battery, four replicates in each, to 3 weeks of age, thereafter moved to floor pens in an environmentally controlled house. At six weeks of age, sex was phenotypically determined and four replicates of 40 birds of each sex were grown separately. All chiks were subjected to conventional management practices. Early feathering Baladi significantly(P "" .05) out weighed their late feathering counterparts only at 6 weeks of age where as Leghorn had higher (P "" .05)body weight than Baladi at all ages studied. Early feathering Baladi had significantly(P "" .05) higher body weight gain at 1-6, growth rate at 1-6 and 1-20 weeks of age and lower feed intake at the first two age periods compared with late feathering Baladi. Leghorn had significantly (P<.05) the highest body weight gain and the lowest growth rate for most of the age periods studied and the highest feed intake at 1-6 and the best feed efficiency at 6-16 weeks of age. Males in general showed significantly (P<.05) better performance than females with regard to all studied parameters.