Phenotypic Variabilities in Strain and Sex of Two-Broiler Chickens at Different Ages.

Abstract:

Owing to the growing number of animal breed development centers around the world and the profitability of their production, comparative studies to evaluate superior strain and sex performance in breeders became an important endeavour for researchers. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the effects of strain and sex on body weight and linear body morphometric traits of 2-broiler chickens during the starter and finisher phases. Arbor-Acre and Cobb-500 chicks (n=192) were raised under controlled conditions and monitored over a 56-day period. Weekly measurements of body weight and linear body traits were recorded. Data subjected to multivariate analysis using the SPSS package revealed that strain significantly (p<0.05) influenced growth, with Arbor-Acre broilers exhibiting superior body weight performance, particularly during the starter phase, weighing 799.50g compared to 669.11g for Cobb-500. This result implied that selecting for improved growth performance during the starter phase (week four) was an important consideration for breeding farms. However, the sex and age factors, as well as the linear body traits in both strains, yielded similar economic results at 8 weeks. Male broilers consistently outperformed their female counterparts in body morphometric traits during both phases. The sex-based differences observed in this study varied across developmental stages, emphasizing the importance of sexual dimorphism in broiler management. These findings recommended that strain and sex were important factors to consider in optimizing broiler production, providing critical insights for broiler breeders and farmers to enhance production efficiency through strategic selection of strains, sex, and other environmental factors.