FORMANCE IN RELATION TO BODY WEIGHT OF SELECTED STRAINS O
.‫االداء االن تاجى وع الق ته ب وزن ال ج سم ف ى س الالت م ن تخ بة من ال دجاج ال ف يومى‬
Amira Ahmed Mohamed Abdel-Wahab
‫أم يرة أحمد محمد ع بدال وهاب‬
Mohamed Abul-Qasim Abdel-latif, Asad el-sayed Mohammed Abdel-Rahman, Hamdy Hussein Sharara.
‫ حمدى ح س ين شرارة‬،‫ أ س عد ال س يد محمد ع بدال رحمن‬،‫محمد أب وال قا سم ع بدال لط يف‬
Poultry Production Dept., Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut Univer-sity during the period from December 2
or egg production. The second strain (GG) was selected for in-creased body weight. The third popula
ate 1960’s, and avoid-ance of inbreeding was practiced on the three strains since their derivation. Th
d egg production capability and some other related parameters under the environmental conditions p
e three genotypes were used in this study. Fayoumi chickens of GG strain were denoted as a heavy
rol group. The results obtained in this study could be summarized as follows: 1. Growth traits: 1.1. Bo
weight and light body weight chicks (LBW) had the lower body weight compared with the control grou
ody weight was insignificant at hatch; however, it was highly significant (P≤0.01) from 4 to 16 weeks o
ween body weights through growing period: It was noticed that there were positive and highly significa
n body weight at the early age. Therefore, the heavy chicks will continue to be heavier during all the g
16 wks old. where HBW genotype had the most high body weight gain (g/day) than LBW and contro
ancing age in a gradual manner. Moreover, the interaction between genotype and sex was not signifi
er, the effect of genotype was highly significant (P≤0.01) in the first, second and third months of the s
hereafter; it decreased with increasing of chick’s age. Males were generally signifi-cantly heavier tha
ion: It was noticed that there was a significant in-crease in daily feed consumption (FC) correlated wi
ant; whereas, it was significant (P≤0.05) during the third and fourth months of age. Heavy body weigh
ence between HBW and LBW geno-types in feed to gain ratio (F: G Ratio) was not significant during t
W chicks might be more efficient in feed utilization than the chicks of LBW genotype. 2. Egg producti
on from 20 to 72 weeks of age. The HBW genotype had the heaviest weight than the other genotypes
weights of genotypes at different ages were positive and highly significant. The HBW chickens were s
th period and the same manner was maintained un-til the end of egg laying season. 2.2. Sexual matu
milar age. The overall mean of age at sexual maturity was 150.7 days. B- Body weight at sexual matu
HBW genotype was the heav-iest in body weight at sexual maturity and LBW genotype was the lighte
e egg weight at sexual maturity, since all genotypes had similar first egg weight. 2.3. Egg number du
st 90 days of production was an early indicator for egg production through the laying season, which w
ean of egg number during the laying season was 138.3 eggs/hen. The effect of geno-types on egg nu
by each gen-otype indicated that the egg laying rate or intensity for Fayoumi chickens under Assiut c
No significant effect of genotype on egg weight was found. It could be concluded that body weight (h
mass followed the same trend as egg weight. 2.8. Phenotypic correlations: A- Phenotypic correlation
and persistency were posi-tive and highly significant. However, there were negative and highly sig-nif
g weight or weight of first egg were positive and significant. Neverthe-less, the correlations between b
nd egg mass was negative but not significant. Phenotypic correlations between egg number and eac
while correlations were negative with egg weight or weight of first egg. A negative highly significant
eason and egg mass. Phenotypic correlation between weight of first egg and egg weight was positive
production traits: The correlations between body weights in laying season and egg production traits (e
of age on egg weight was highly significant. The egg weight increased with advancing age from 32 u
g-nificant. B- Yolk percentage: The overall mean of yolk percentage was 32.9%. The effect of genotyp
ct of age on the percentage of egg yolk was highly significant (P≤0.01). The yolk percentage increas
nd age considering yolk percentage was not significant. C- Albumen percentage: The overall mean of
The interaction between the genotype and age was not significant. D- Shell percentage: The shell pe
e was highly signifi-cant. The effect of interaction between genotype and age on egg shell per-centag
he genotype, but the effect of age was highly significant (P≤0.01). The effect of interaction was not s
egg of LBW genotype had the highest shell strength whereas, the low-est shell strength was found in
here was no significant effect of age or interaction between genotype and age on egg shell strength.
he other traits. However, all these correlations were positive except the correlation between egg weig
t. More-over, the correlation between yolk and albumen percentages was negative and highly signific
shell strength. There were positive and highly significant correlations between shell percentage and e
percentage: The overall mean of fertility percentage for Fayoumi chickens was 96.4%. In general, it
otype on embryonic mor-tality during the incubation period and both of hatchability percentages (base
ayoumi chickens. 4.3. Female reproductive system: In general, the effect of genotype on anatomical
on the insignificant results in egg laying season traits. The effect of age on ovary component was sig
e ov-iduct parts weight and length was not significant as well as the effect of interaction between gen
ncentration was 11.92 mg/dl. The effect of genotype on blood hemoglobin levels was highly significan
bin concentra-tion in blood was at 52 wks of age. Moreover, there were highly signifi-cant interaction
centages were 63.3% and 66.3%, respec-tively. The effect of genotype on these traits was significant
same traits. 5.3. Phenotypic correlations between slaughtering traits: Phenotypic correlations were po
cerated carcass and dressing percent-age. Phenotypic correlations were negative and highly signific
dressing percentages and highly significant for the last two traits. 5.4. Digestive system: The effect of
genotype on the total digestive tract length, crop, duodenum, small intestine, caeca length was not sig
system organs were recorded at 52 wks of age. In general, the interaction between genotype and ag
odenum, and large intestine weight. The HBW genotype recoded the greatest values for these parts
ype and age on proven-triculus, large intestine and liver weight was significant, while it was not signi
uring growth period in the HBW chicks in Assiut governorate. However, LBW chicken did not express
mme for sev-eral generations for LBW genotype aiming at increasing egg production for useing this g