EVALUATION OF EGG PRODUCTION AND FEED EFFICIENCY TRAITS OF NEW CROSSES ESTABLISHED USING LOCAL CHICKEN STRAINS | ||||
Egyptian Poultry Science Journal | ||||
Article 9, Volume 45, Issue 2, June 2025, Page 187-201 PDF (734.08 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/Epsj.2025.444669 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Mohamed E. Soltan1; Ahmad abd el wahab enab2; Mostafa M. Emara1; Eman Metwally Abou-Elewa3; Sami A. Farrag![]() | ||||
1Poultry and Fish Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt | ||||
2Poult. and Fish Prod. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Menoufia Univ., 32511, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt. | ||||
3Poulty and fishes department- Agriculture Faculty- Minoufia University. | ||||
Abstract | ||||
Aiming to establish and evaluate new crosses, the current study was conducted at the research farm of the Poultry and Fish production department, at Menoufia University. Sinai, Gimmizah and Silver Montazah chicken were used in the current study. Egg production and feed efficiency traits recorded individually including age at sexual maturity, egg number during the first 90 days of production (EN90), egg weight and body weight at sexual maturity (EWSM and BWSM), body weight at 35 weeks of age (BWM), daily feed consumption and feed efficiency (DFC35 and EFE35). A partial diallel crossing scheme was applied and the performance of the different crosses was evaluated, and crossbreeding effects were estimated. All crosses from a recent study achieved higher EN90 than pure lines (Parental lines) ranging between 37.2 (SMGS cross) and 43.4 (MSSG cross) eggs compared to 31.3 (Montazah) and 37.0 (Gimmizah) eggs. The best feed utilization was observed for the cross MSSG which used 4.56 g feed to produce one gram of eggs. The worst genotype in its feed utilization was Gimmizah hens which utilized 7.24 g feed on average to produce one gram of eggs. Preferable genetic effect observed for MS genotype (originated by crossing Silver Montazah sires with Sinai dams) regarding all egg production traits including ASM (-6.43 days), EN90 (2.5 eggs), EWSM (5.5 g), EWM (-0.21 g), BWSM (-16.35 g) and BWM (-80.21 g). Heterosis % for ASM showed a negative (desirable) direction for GSSM and MSSG genotypes but with low estimates (-1.086 and - 1.105 % respectively). Heterosis % for EN90 exhibited negative moderate -15.53 (SMGS); -16.91 (SGMS) and slightly low negative -7.343 (GSSM); -7.787 (MSSG) estimates. It can be concluded that the number of produced eggs during the first 90 days of production is negatively affected (negative heterosis) in hybrids mothered by lower egg production hens, and vice versa. Egg production during the first 90 days tends to be highly affected by heterotic effects. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Local chickens; crossbreeding effects; egg production | ||||
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