Evaluation of economic traits in progenies of Nigerian heavy ecotype chicken as genetic material for development of rural poultry production

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1 African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 11(39), pp , 15 May, 01 Available online at DOI: /AJB1.61 ISSN Academic Journal Full Length Reearch Paper Evaluation of economic trait in progenie of Nigerian heavy ecotype chicken a genetic material for development of rural poultry production Agu, C. I., Ndofor-Foleng, H. M.* and Nwou, C. C. Department of Animal Science, Univerity of Nigeria, Nukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Accepted 18 April, 01 Genetic evaluation of egg production and biometrical trait of the firt filial generation of the Nigerian heavy ecotype chicken wa carried out. Heritability and genetic correlation between the trait were etimated uing the mixed model leat quare and maximum likelihood computer programme of Harvey. Reult how an average hen day production of 58.91% on the firt month and 5.69% on the fourth month of lay. Age at firt egg (AFE), weight of firt egg (WFE), mean egg weight (EW), egg number (EN) and egg ma (EM) were ± 1. day; 34.9 ± 0.67; ± 0.57 g; ± 3.77 egg and ± 4.50 g, repectively. Heritability for EN, EW and EM were 0.16 ± 0.13, 0.31 ± 0.30 and 0.8 ± 0.4, repectively and thigh length, back-width and neck length range between 0.13 to 0.5, 0.3 to 0.40 and 0.10 to 0.5 between 4 to 0 week, repectively. Genetic correlation etimate between all the trait tudied were poitive, high and highly ignificant (P < 0.001). The egg production trait and biometric trait of heavy ecotype of Nigerian local chicken may repond to election conidering the medium heritability and the poitive correlation between the trait tudied. Key word: Genetic evaluation, egg production trait, heavy ecotype, local chicken. INTRODUCTION Nigeria i endowed with many poultry pecie. Thee pecie have lived and produced for everal year in the Nigerian environment. Their productivity i poor, owing to treful environmental factor, problem of dieae, poor houing, and inadequate feed and feeding. The factor reponible for low productivity of the local poultry reource i the neglect of the local chicken by animal reearch cientit in preference for exotic breed (Ndofor-Foleng et al., 010). Thee local chicken contitute 80% of the 10 million poultry type raied in the rural area in Nigeria (Ajayi, 010). They are elf reliant, hardy, and known to poe qualitie uch a *Correponding author. harriet.ndoforfoleng@unn.edu.ng. Abbreviation: AFE, Age at firt egg; WFE, weight of firt egg; EW, mean egg weight; EN, egg number; EM, egg ma. the ability to hatch on their own, brood and cavenge for their food. Recent work (Momoh et al., 004, 010; Udeh and Omeje, 011; Oleforuh-Okoleh, 011) revealed that there are different ecotype of Nigerian local chicken, which could be grouped into two major categorie baed on body ize and body weight a heavy ecotype and light ecotype. The heavy ecotype weigh about 0.9 to.5 kg at maturity while the light ecotype weigh between 0.68 to 1.50 kg (Momoh et al., 004). Malago and Baitilwake (009) reported that they are ditinct and vary in performance with none meeting the attribute of good egg trait. The tudy of egg production and it related trait uch a age and body weight at exual maturity attracted the attention of everal invetigator who found that there were wide variation in thee trait between different breed and/or train of chicken (Iraqi et al., 007). Thi genetic diverification could be exploited to improve their productivity. It i a laudable propoition that more

2 950 Afr. J. Biotechnol. attention be given to the genetic importance and development of the local chicken, in order to improve on the preent acute animal protein hortage in Nigeria (Wine, 009). Some author had reported etimate of heritabilitie and genetic correlation between growth trait in the local chicken. Momoh and Nwou (008) reported that heritability for body weight in Nigerian heavy ecotype local chicken and it croe with the light ecotype ranged from 0.04 to Similarly, Adeleke et al. (011) reported heritability etimate for body weight in pure and crobred local chicken that ranged from 0.05 at a day old to 0.45 at 16 week of age. Some other author namely Nwou et al., (1985), Ogbu and Nwou (010) and Ohagenyi et al. (011) reported heritability etimate for growth trait that were moderate to high in magnitude. However, few work have been done on egg production parameter in the heavy chicken ecotype. Oleforuh-Okoleh (01) reported pooled heritability over three generation of election of body weight at firt egg, egg number and egg weight a 0.8, 0.56, and 0.44, repectively in the light ecotype local chicken. Momoh et al. (010) reported that egg number in Nigerian heavy ecotype local chicken and it croe with the light ecotype ranged from to Genetic etimate of egg production trait in different breed and/or train have been cited by many invetigator, who found that there were many variation in thee etimate according to the difference of the genetic make-up (Khalil et al., 004; Nurgiartiningih et al., 004). There i extenive literature on genetic parameter of egg number and ome production trait in exotic bird. Thi i not the cae for the Nigerian heavy chicken ecotype. A comprehenive etimation of heritabilitie and genetic correlation among different egg production trait i needed for deigning a utainable election program in heavy ecotype chicken in Nigeria. Thi tudy wa therefore deigned to gather preliminary information on egg production and biometrical trait and further etimate heritability and genetic correlation among the trait o a to ee the feaibility or acertain whether the Nigerian heavy ecotype chicken can repond poitively to genetic improvement. village of Vandeikya, Kaztina-Ala and Wannune in Benue State (Guinea Savannah) formed the bae population for the experiment. Thee bird were maintained on deep litter floor in breeding pen with a mating ratio of 1 ire to 10 dam. Egg were collected, pedigreed and hatched naturally uing the Baket ytem a decribed by Momoh et al. (004, 005). On the day of hatching, all chick were pedigreed by ire. A total number of 98 chick of both exe were hatched from the mating of 5 wing banded cock and 50 hen. The chick were brooded for 8 week and reared until 18 week when they were moved to the battery cage for the egg production tudy. All bird were fed on the ame tandard ration of chick mah coniting of 18% crude protein and,800 kcal ME/kg. From 8 to 18 week, hen were fed a 15% crude protein and a,700 kcal ME/kg diet. During the laying period, hen conumed at leiure, a diet containing 16% crude protein and,700 kcal ME/kg. All chick were vaccinated and were ubjected to the ame management, hygienic and climatic condition. Pedigreed egg from each individual hen were collected and recorded daily. Parameter meaured The trait evaluated at the hort-term included percent egg production expreed a hen-day rate of production, age at firt egg (AFE), weight of firt egg (WFE), egg number (EN), egg weight (EW), and total egg ma (TEM), and the biometric trait were thigh length (TL), neck length (NL), and back width (BW). Percent egg production Thi wa expreed a: Hen day percent Egg number Total Number of egg laid Average. Number of bird x Number of hen day Thi wa meaured a the total number of egg per bird. Egg weight 100 x 1 All egg laid were weighed ingly uing a 50 g capacity weighing balance. The average of all the ingle weight wa computed to form the average egg weight. Egg ma MATERIALS AND METHODS Thi reearch wa carried out at the local chicken unit of the poultry farm of the Department of Animal Science, Univerity of Nigeria, Nukka. Nukka i located on Latitude 05 I North and Longitude 07 4 I Eat, with annual rainfall ranging from 986 to 098 mm (Inyang, 1978; Auquo and Nwou, 1987). Management of experimental bird A total of 55 mature female and male gathered from rural area in Obudu, a montana region of South-Eatern Nigeria and the adjuring Thi wa expreed a: Egg ma = Total egg number Average egg weight Statitical analyi All the data on AFE, WFE, egg weight, EN, EM, TL, NL and BW were analyzed uing the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of the tatitical analyi ytem (SAS, 00). Treatment mean were eparated uing Duncan new multiple range tet (Duncan, 1955). The model ued for the analyi of biometric trait and egg production parameter wa:

3 Agu et al Table 1. Mean of hort-term egg production characteritic of the Nigerian heavy chicken ecotype progeny. Parameter/Sire Age at firt egg a c c b a Weight of firt egg 3.16 b a 34.6 b ab b Egg number c c a b 68.0 b Egg ma 9574 b a 1014 b 9995 b 1479 ab Mean egg weight b a 41.6 b b b Mean having different upercript in row are ignificantly different (P < 0.05). Y ij = µ a i e ij Where, Y ij i the obervation of the j th off pring of the i th ire; µ i the overall mean; a i i the effect of the i th ire and e ij i the random error. Genetic analyi Mixed- model leat quare and maximum likelihood computer programme (Harvey, 1990) wa ued to etimate the obervable variance component due to ire ( ˆ ) and error ( ˆ w ) by equating computed mean quare by their expectation and olving for the component. Etimate of genetic correlation were obtained uing varcomp procedure of Harvey computer program (Harvey, 1990). The programme alo computed the genetic correlation and the appropriate tandard error of the etimated heritabilitie. h 4 ˆ ˆ ˆ w Where, h i the ire heritability; component and rg ˆ i the ire variance ˆ w i the error variance component. Cov x y ˆ ( x) ˆ ( y) Where, rg i the genetic correlation; Cov (x y) i the genetic covariance of x and y component; ˆ (x) i the ire variance of component and ˆ ( y) i the ire variance of y component. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The hen day percentage production ranged from to 61.74%. The purebred, heavy ecotype hen reached it peak hen day production of 61.74% at econd month of lay. Omeje (1983) and Adedokun and Sonaiya (001) reported peak production of the main croed between gold link and local chicken of Nigeria and Nigerian indigenou chicken, repectively to occur at the econd month of lay. The highet peak HDP% reported in thi tudy i higher than 60.8% reported for hybrid hubbard layer (Auquo and Ofobrukata, 1991) but le than 63% peak hen-day egg production of eight exotic breed and train of chicken commonly ued for commercial egg production in Nigeria a reported by Akinokun (1974). The purebred hen laid their firt egg on an average of 16.3 ± 1. day, which wa on the 3rd week of age. Thi reult i different from the report of Nwou (1979) and Omeje and Nwou (1984), who recorded 133 ± 1.11 day and ± 3.1 day, repectively a the age of firt lay for the Nigerian light ecotype local chicken. On the other hand, Akinokun (1990) and Oleforuh-Okoleh (011) reported that age at exual maturity ranged between ± 1.97 to ± 1.90 day for the light ecotype local hen in Nigeria. However, finding from all population tudied are till within the range of 153 to 06 day reported in literature for unimproved local chicken both in Nigeria (Akinokun, 1990; Adedokun and Sonaiya, 001; Momoh, 005). The current information on the local chicken jutifie the new trend that cientit mut begin to ditinguih between the heavy and light ecotype of the local chicken and the genotype of the local chicken. The average weight of the firt egg of the heavy ecotype local chicken wa 34.9 ± 0.67 g. The reult of weight at firt egg wa higher than 5.97 g reported by Omeje and Nwou (1984); and 30.6 g reported by Oleforuh-Okoleh (011) but lower than g reported by Momoh (005) for the local chicken known and decribed now a light ecotype, g (Gold link Local chicken) and g (Local chicken Gold link croe) (Omeje, 1983). Momoh (005) alo tated that the croing of light ecotype with the heavy ecotype reulted in ignificant (P < 0.05) increae in the weight of firt egg of the crobred over the light ecotype. The performance of crobred wa intermediate to thoe of the two parent, thu implicating an additive mode of inheritance in weight of firt egg. However, data (Table 1) reveal that weight of firt egg wa ignificantly (P < 0.05) different among the ire breeding group. Thi could be

4 9504 Afr. J. Biotechnol. Table. Effect of Sire on average thigh length (cm) of the Nigerian heavy ecotype at 4 weekly interval. Age (week) Sire 1 Sire Sire 3 Sire 4 Sire 5 4th th 7.0 a 9.16 b 9.54 b 7.37 a 7.60 a 1th th 11.4 b 1.01 a 11.8 ab 1.08 a 11.7 ab 0th Mean having different upercript in row are ignificantly different (P < 0.05). Table 3. Effect of Sire on mean back width (cm) of heavy ecotype of Nigerian local chicken at 4 weekly interval. Age (week) Sire 1 Sire Sire 3 Sire 4 Sire 5 4th th 4.13 c 5.40 ab 5.75 a 4.37 bc 4.10 c 1th th 6.39 ab 6.6 a 6.07 b 6.39 ab 6.6 ab 0th 6.9 ab 7.18 a 6.77 b 7.07 ab 6.85 b Mean having different upercript in row are ignificantly different (P < 0.05). ueful in the development of the Nigerian heavy ecotype chicken, ince the trait (egg weight) i highly heritable and therefore could be manipulated and improved eaily through genetic election. The Mean Egg Weight of heavy ecotype of the Nigerian local chicken wa ± 0.57 g. The breeding group repreented by different cock (Table 1) had ignificant effect (P < 0.05) on egg weight. The mean egg weight of local chicken in the preent tudy wa conitent to value reported by other. According to Moffe et al. (009) mean egg weight of Tanzanian local chicken ecotype range from to g for medium and heavy breed while Odula et al. (009) reported mean egg weight of 45 and 48 g in local chicken differing in weight in two location in Kenya. On the other hand, Oleforuh-Okoleh (011) reported lower value of ± 0.55, ± 0.50, ± 0.49 g for the light ecotype local chicken under three generation of election. Mean egg number wa ± 3.77 egg. The hort-term egg number of ± 3.77 egg obtained in thi tudy for the heavy ecotype of hen i an indication that heavy ecotype could be developed a a layer breed. Thi reult i much higher than the value of 48.5 ± 4.1 egg reported by Omeje (1983) for the Nigerian Local chicken, which retropectively could be decribed a the light ecotype hen. The difference in hort-term egg number between the preent reult and Omeje (1983) reult i indicative of difference in the genetic make-up of the light and heavy ecotype chicken. Egg number wa ignificantly different (P < 0.05) among the ire (breeding group) (Table 1). The ignificant difference between the breeding group in egg number may lead to the cautiou concluion that the heavy ecotype breeding group a egregated by the cock and hen paired randomly with them and differed from one another. Calculated egg ma ( ± g) wa ignificantly different (P < 0.05) in the breeding group. The total egg ma of kg reported in thi work i much higher than 5.6 kg reported by Nwou (1990) for the light ecotype chicken in outheat Nigeria. From the reult obtained in thi tudy on egg number and egg weight of purebred heavy ecotype of the local chicken, it would appear that pure breeding and elective breeding of our local chicken could poitively enhance the performance of Nigerian poultry genetic reource. The reult of thi experiment (Table, 3 and 4), howed a ignificant difference (P < 0.05) in mot of the biometric trait tudied epecially at the 8th and 16th week for thigh length; 8th, 16th and 0th week for back length and 4th, 16th and 0th week for neck length. The thigh length of heavy ecotype of Nigerian local chicken varied from 5.1 cm in the 4th week to cm in the 0th week while the neck length (Table ) ranged between 4.34 cm to 1.06 cm from 4th to 0th week. The yield of a reaonably good meat from a compact body a oberved by Hill (1954) could be attributable to the broad back of the native chicken. Good back width eem to be aociated with vigor and carca yield. With improvement in the back width of the heavy ecotype local chicken through election and breeding, there i the probability of improving the meat-producing ability of heavy ecotype local chicken of Nigeria a a broiler breed.

5 Agu et al Table 4. Effect of Sire on mean neck length (cm) of heavy ecotype of Nigerian local chicken at four weekly interval. Age (week) Sire 1 Sire Sire 3 Sire 4 Sire a 4.3 b 4.30 b 4.9 b 4.7 b b 11.6 a b b b b 11.6 a b 10.7 b b b 1.30 a 1.06 a 1.14 a 1.08 a Mean having different upercript in row are ignificantly different (P < 0.05). Table 5. Heritability etimate of hort- term egg production from ire variance component of the heavy ecotype of Nigerian local chicken. Parameter h Interpretation Egg weight 0.31±0.30 Medium h Egg number 0.16±0.13 Low h Egg ma 0.8±0.4 Medium h Table 6. Heritability etimate of ome biometric trait of heavy ecotype of Nigerian local chicken. Age (week) TL (h ) BW (cm) (h ) NL (cm) (h ) 4th 0.13± ± ±0.35 8th 0.38± ± ±0.3 1th 0.5± ± ± th 0.9± ± ±0.18 0th 0.4± ± ±0.36 TL, Thigh length; BW, back width; NL, neck length. From thi reult, one can ay that Nigerian local chicken ha a compact body. Heritability etimate of egg and biometrical trait Heritability etimate of egg number, egg weight and egg ma from ire variance component for the F 1 heavy ecotype are preented in Table 5. Reult how that both egg weight and egg ma had moderate heritability of 0.31 ± 0.30 and 0.8 ± 0.4, repectively and egg number had a low heritability etimate of 0.16 ± Egg number heritability etimate of 0.16 obtained in thi tudy differ with the value of 0.5 and 0.1, reported by Kiani- Maneh et al. (00) in two population of Iranian native chicken. Franceh et al. (1997), Szwaczkowki (003) and Nurgiartiningih et al. (004) reported etimate of heritability for egg number to vary between 0.11 to 0.53 and concluded that the etimate of heritability were relatively low at the beginning of the laying period, which could be attributed to the ignificant phyiological change for hen commencing egg production. On the other hand, Momoh (005) recorded heritability etimate of egg number, egg weight and egg ma a 0.9 ± 0.43, 0.1 ± 0.38 and 0.4 ± 0.44, repectively. The low heritability etimate in thi tudy compare well with the medium h etimated for egg number by Momoh (005). Thi i to be expected ince heritability coefficient i a random variable and the population of heavy ecotype ha not been elected and claified a compared to the exotic breed of chicken which ha been elected and claified, baed on their growth and reproductive efficiency. Adebambo et al. (006) reported that our indigenou chicken have gone through more of natural election for reitance to the tropical climate rather than artificial election for productivity. The etimated heritability of the biometric trait meaured at pecific age i hown in Table 6. The heritability of thigh length wa 0.13 (low), 0.38, 0.5 (high) 0.9 and 0.4 (moderate) at 4, 8, 1, 16 and 0 week, repectively. Thi indicate that the body length of heavy ecotype can be improved through ma election. The

6 9506 Afr. J. Biotechnol. Table 7. Genetic (rg) between biometrical trait. Parameter rg Interpretation Egg number egg weight 0.83*** Highly ignificant Egg number egg ma 0.80*** Highly ignificant Egg weight egg ma 0.71*** Highly ignificant THL NL 0.8*** Highly ignificant THL BW 0.81*** Highly ignificant NL BW 0.86*** Highly ignificant ***p < heritability etimate of back-width of the heavy ecotype increaed from 0.3 ± 0.3 at 4 week to 0.44 ± 0.1 at 8 week and thereafter declined to 0.34 ± 0.35 at the 0th week. Similarly, heritability etimate of the neck length increaed gradually up to 1 week and thereafter declined gradually until the 0th week. The highet heritability obtained for the biometrical trait wa at the age of 8 and 1 week. Thi implie that election baed on biometrical trait hould be carried out at the age of 8 week or 1 week. On the average, the biometrical trait of the heavy ecotype could be decribed a being lowly to moderately heritable and indicate that repone to election at the 8th or 1th week could be rapid. Genetic correlation of egg and biometrical trait Etimated genetic correlation for egg number, egg weight and egg ma are hown in Table 7. The genetic correlation between the egg number and egg weight wa high and poitive (0.83). Thi wa higher than rg between egg number and egg ma (0.80) and rg between egg weight and egg ma (0.71). Thi favorable trend indicate that election for earlier age at firt egg i likely to be aociated with moderate gain in egg number. The high genetic correlation between EN and EW i analogou to correlation reported by Fairfull and Gowe (1990) in unelected control line of white leghorn, and very imilar to thoe etimated by Bebe et al. (199), Mielenz et al. (1994), Wei and van der Werf (1995), Tixier-Boichard et al. (1995) and Jeyarubau and Gibon (1996). However, Oleforuh-Okoleh (011) reported negative genetic correlation between egg number and egg weight, uggeting an increae in EN led to a decreae in EW. The heavy ecotype chicken exhibited a more conitent and le variable (between trait) etimate of genetic correlation in thi tudy. Adebambo et al. (006) reported that genetic improvement for one trait could reult in improvement for the other trait a correlated repone. Pleitropic action of gene can be implicated here. The etimate between all the biometric character tudied (Table 7) were poitive, high and highly ignificant (p < 0.001). The etimated genetic correlation meaured all fall between the range of 0.81 and They were all poitively correlated, implying that an improvement in one will lead to an increae of the other trait. The variability of thee progeny provide advantage for improvement of the Nigerian heavy ecotype chicken. An additional benefit i given to the heavy ecotype local chicken by a poitive and ignificant genetic correlation that exit between thigh length and back length, thigh length and neck length and neck length and back length. Concluion Thi tudy how that Nigerian heavy ecotype local chicken ha a good potential for egg production and biometric (growth) trait. From thi tudy, it indicate that the egg production trait and biometric trait of heavy ecotype of Nigerian local chicken may repond to election, conidering the medium heritability and the poitive correlation between the trait tudied. Such potential can be exploited o that election could be carried out in the heavy ecotype chicken and thu improve poultry production. The low to moderate heritability etimate oberved could be due dominance and epitai (non-additive genetic effect). Change in heritability etimate acro different age could indicate variou expreion of different gene at different age of the chicken growth and the reduction of environmental effect. However, ince chicken under rural production ytem are kept both for meat and egg production, election for genetic improvement of local chicken hould eek to improve the two trait imultaneouly. However, more tudie are needed to explore other factor like production, in term of carca quality and dieae reitance o that finding from uch tudie and the one preented here could be a ignificant prelude to the improvement of the heavy local chicken ecotype. REFERENCES Adedokun SA, Sonaiya EB (001). Comparim of the performance of Nigeria Indigenou chicken from three agro-ecological zone of

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