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Relationship between some body measurements and fertility in males of two local strains of chicken
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Abstract: A total number of 100 pedigreed cocks from two strains of chickens, EI-Salam and Mandarah (50 cocks each strain) at 8 weeks of age according to, their sire families were used in this experiment to study the relationship between fertility with some body measurements such as body weight, lengths of shank and keel and secondary sexual characters (comb and wattle lengths and widths) in both strains. The cocks were classified at 40 weeks of age into three groups according to comb size. The 1st group: males with a large comb (LC), the 2nd group: males with a control comb (CC) and the 3rd group: males with a small comb (SC)
The following results were obtained:
Semen ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, percentage of live sperm and sperm motility were significantly (P<0.05) higher at 50 wks than those at 40 and 30 wks of age for both strains, in overall mean of Mandarah than EI-Salam cocks at different ages and in heavy body weight cocks than control or light in both strains at 40 wk of age. Body weight, lengths of shank and keel and secondary sexual characters (length and width of both comb and wattle) increased linearly with increasing age in both strains. Cocks with (LC) had ejaculated volume, sperm concentration, percentage of live sperm, sperm motility and percentage of fertility higher than either (CC) or (SC) cocks in both strains at 40 weeks of age. Heritability estimates for ejaculate volume, semen pH and sperm motility were high and moderate of both strains at all ages studied. Phenotypic correlation in both strains was positive and moderate to high values between ejaculate volume and each sperm concentration, percentage of live sperm and sperm motility, between sperm concentration and percentage of live sperm and between body weight at 8 wk and each ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and percentage of live sperm in both strains in Mandarah strain lengths of shank, keel and comb were highly positively correlated with ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and percentage of live sperm compared with El-Salam strain. Genetic correlation was positive and moderate to high between ejaculate volume and each percentage of live sperm, sperm concentration, and percentage of abnormal sperm and between percentage of live sperm and sperm motility in both strains. Genetic correlation was positive and moderate to high between body weight and each ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and percentages of live and abnormal sperm, and between wattle length and percentage of abnormal sperm in both strains.
Results provide evidence that phenotypic traits can be used as useful indicators to predict male's fertility in local strains, indicators for high semen physical quality traits, used in selection programs to improve local strain in early age and get rid of subfertile males for reducing production cost.
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| Publication year |
2011
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| Pages |
331-349
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| Availability location |
معهد بحوث الانتاج الحيوانى-شارع نادى الصيد- الدقى- الجيزة
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| Availability number |
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| Organization Name |
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| City |
الاسكندرية
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| serial title |
Egyptian Poultry Science Journal
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| ISSN |
1110-5623
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| Author(s) from ARC |
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| Agris Categories |
Animal physiology - Nutrition
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AGROVOC
TERMS |
Body measurements.
Body weight.
Cocks.
Fertility.
Semen.
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| Proposed Agrovoc |
comb and wattle length;lengths of shank and keel;
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| Publication Type |
Journal
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