1Department of Livestock and Dairy Development, Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi-46300, Pakistan
2Department of Poultry Science, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan
3Department of Pathology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan
4Department of Livestock and Dairy Development (Extension), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
5Department of Poultry Production, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand-67210, Pakistan
6Institute of Continuing Education and Extension, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan
7Department of Microbiology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan
8Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan
*Corresponding Author: M.T. Khan, Department of Poultry Science, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan, Email: mtahirkhan@cuvas.edu.pk
Online published on 7 July, 2023.
In Pakistan, the naked neck chickens are characterized on the base of plumage colors such as black, white black, light brown and dark brown. There is scanty of information on hatching traits in different phenotypes of naked neck chicken. The current study aimed to investigate and compare the hatching traits in four phenotypes of naked neck chicken (black, white black, light brown and dark brown).
In total, 300 females (20 weeks old) comprising four plumage colors (black, white black, light brown and dark brown), 75 from each, were randomly assigned to 20 replicates (15/replicate) under a completely randomized design (CRD). Number of settable eggs, fertility, hatch of fertile, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality parameters were evaluated.
The results showed higher settable eggs, fertility and hatchability in black, dark brown and light brown phenotypes than that of the white black whereas better hatch of fertile and reduced embryonic mortality were recorded in black and dark brown phenotypes as compared to white black. Better chick quality was observed in dark brown phenotype followed by light brown, black and then white black. Phenotypes other than white black had better hatching performance, hence could be used to revive backyard poultry farming.
Hatching traits, Naked neck, Performance, Phenotype
