Effect of Egg Weight on post-Hatch Performance of White Leghorn Chicken Breed from Day-old to Laying Age

Year 2018, Volume: 15 Issue: 2, 16 - 22, 25.12.2018

Kebede Senbeta Ewonetu Asefa Kasaye

Abstract

The
objective of the present study was to determine the effect of egg weight on
hatchability, body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed efficiency,
mortality, hen day egg production and egg weight. Hatching eggs (576) from a
White Leghorn breeder flock were obtained at the age of 36 weeks and
purposively divided into 3 egg-weight categories, namely small, medium, and
large sizes having weights 44.26±0.21g, 50.39±0.11g, and 55.39±0.23g,
respectively. Each egg group randomly further divided into three replicates
each contained of 64 eggs in a completely randomized design. Eggs were
incubated and hatched chicks were individually counted and weighed to determine
the hatchability. Chicks hatched from similar egg size were grouped according
to their initial treatment and replication. The male and female chicks were
intensively raised together for 8 weeks and then only female birds maintained
in the experimental conditions for fifty weeks. Data were summarized using the
General Linear Model of SAS and the means were separated using Fisher’s LSD
test. This study showed that egg sizes had significantly influenced
(p<0.0001) all parameters measured during the experimental periods. However,
birds hatched from large sized eggs were suitable for better hatchling weight,
survival, hen day egg production and egg weight whereas chickens hatched from
small egg sizes were relatively better for hatchability, feed efficiency during
growing stage and between 40-50 weeks. Chickens hatched from medium egg sizes
were principally better for weight gain during brooder and grower stages with
minimum feed efficiency. In conclusion; egg weight significantly effected the
overall characteristics of chickens from day old to 50 weeks of age and the
effect of egg weight only diminish for mortality after brooder stage. 

Keywords

Age, Chicken, Egg weight, Egg size

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