Effect of Strain on External and Internal Egg Parameters of Exotic, Indigenous Chicken and Crossbreds

Examining effect of Strain on External and Internal Egg Parameters of Rhode Island Red (RIR), two Nigerian indigenous chicken strain:-(Pure naked neck (NNK); pure Normal feathered (NF)); Crosses were:- RIR x naked neck (RNK) cross; RIR x Normal feathered (RNF) cross. Matured 100 birds reared intensively for 10 weeks at Teaching and Research farm, University of Uyo in a Completely Randomized Design in standard management practices. Feed (16.0% crude protein, 2800 Kcal/Kg Metabolize-able energy) and water given ad libitum. 10 eggs per strain were cracked every Mondays and Fridays every week to examined External (egg weight(Ewt), egg length(El), shell weight (Swt) and Internal (yolk height (Yht), yolk weight(Ywt), albumen weight(Awt) albumen height (Aht) and Haugh unit (HU)) egg parameters. All data were subjected to one-way Analysis of Variance of SAS Statistical Software Package Version 9.2. Results indicated significant (P<0.05) effect of strain on external egg parameters studied. For Ewt, RNK (46.38±0.79 g) and RNF (45.54±0.96 g) were statistically (P<.05) higher than NF (42.42±0.85 g). For Swt, RNF(4.71g±0.09 g) was statistically (P<.05) higher than NF (4.36±0.11g) but similar in other strains. Result indicated significant (P<0.05) effect of strain on all the internal egg parameters measured. For Hu (RNK) 79.08±1.23% and (RNF) 77.83±1.88 were statistically (P<.05) higher than (NF) 73.84±1.10%. The same trend followed in other internal egg parameters among the strains. Generally, the trends placed were exotic birds first, then Crossbreds and Purebreds last in the parameters. In conclusion, RNK and SNF crossbreds performed better in both External and Internal egg parameter than purebred strains studied. Hence, crossbreeding should be adopted to improve Nigerian Chickens.