Production potential and qualitative traits of indigenous chicken of Kashmir

摘要

nbsp;nbsp;ThepresentstudywasfocusedonexplorationofquantitativeandqualitativecharacteristicsofindigenouschickenofKashmir,beingrearedatanaltitudeof1500to2000metresabovemeansealevel.ThelocalchickenofKashmirisrearedbytheruralpopulacemostlyintraditionalfreerangescavengingsystem,however,insuburbanareasitisalsobeingrearedinbackyard/subsistencescavengingsystem.nbsp;51villagesweretakenupforthestudyand461householdsrearingnotlessthan8indigenouschickensweresurveyedandinteracted.74%ofcockerelsreachedmaturityatanageof5#8211;6monthsand26%within7#8211;7?month.46%femalechickenreachedmaturityatanageof6#8211;7month,42%at7-8monthand12%at9-12month.Theliveweightsrecordedincockerelandpulletwere0.939±0.153kgand0.853±0.140kgandincockandhenwere1.820±0.25kgand1.35±0.22kgrespectively,whichdifferedsignificantly(P0.01)betweenthesexes.Theeggproductionrecordedwaslow,50-60eggsperyearinthechickenrearedunderfreerangescavengingsystemwhereasitincreasedto75to90eggsinthechickenrearedunderbackyardscavengingsystem.Fourcyclesofbroodinesswererecordedperyearinhenswithanaveragedurationof12to15days;theperiodofbroodinesswhenthehenwasbroodingcanextenduptoamonth.Thehatchabilityofeggswas77to81%andonanaverage12to13eggswereincubatedperhen.TheindigenouschickenofKashmirwasmulticoloured;55%chickenswerehavingbarredplumage,35%blackand10%white.Theeggsweremostlybrownincolourwithnbsp;anaverageweight46.06±3.96g.Thequalityofeggwasfoundgoodwithhoughunit71,albuminindex0.071andshapeindex0.455.Mortalitywasrecorded41%fromdayonetooneyearmostlyduetopredationandNewCastledisease.Thelosseshowever,werereducedinbackyardscavengingsystembecauseoflittlehealthcare.nbsp;TheindigenouschickenofKashmirwasfoundtohavehighgeneticvariation,andcanbeintroducedinmainstreamagriculturetocontributetonationaleconomyaswellasemploymentgeneration.Thisgoalcanbesuccessfullyachievedifmanagerialpracticesareimprovedandpropervaccinationandhealthcareisprovided.