Comparison of Rapid and Slow Feathering Egg Layers with Respect to Egg Production and Hatchability Parameters

摘要

This study was conducted to develop slow and rapid feathering strains and to find out the effects of speed of feathering on production and hatchability parameters in slow and rapid feathering strains of Line-54 of brown layers. Slow and rapid feathering genotype Line-54 brown egg layer strains were used as animal material. Significant differences were found between the groups with respect to sexual maturity, live weight at sexual maturity, egg production and egg weight (p<0.01) but not in egg mass (p>0.05). No difference in hatchability characteristics such as hatchability and middle period embryonic mortality was found between the slow and rapid feathering layers (p>0.05). Fertility, late period embryonic mortality (p<0.05), hatchability of fertileeggs and early embryonic mortality differ between the genotypes (p<0.01). The results of the present study suggested that slow feathering affected some production and hatchability parameters in layers.