Phenotypic Correlations Between Body Weight and Egg Production Traits of Local Chicken Genotypes in Humid Tropical Rain Forest of Umudike

Abstract

Phenotypic correlations were established between body weight and some egg production and egg quality traits of F1 local chicken hens. The hens consisted of 5 homozygous naked neck x naked neck (Na/Na), 6 naked neck x frizzle (Na/F), 7 naked neck x normal (Na/na), 6 homozygous frizzle x frizzle (F/F), 4 frizzle x naked neck (F/Na), 8 frizzle x normal (F/na) and 7 homozygous normal x normal (na/na) genotypes. They laid a total of about 151 eggs between 24 and 32 weeks of age. Correlated traits were body weight at first egg (BWTFE), body weight of laying hens (BWT), age at sexual maturity (ASM), egg number to 56 days (EN56), hen day production (HDP), egg weight (EWT), egg index (EI), egg length (EL), sell thickness (ST), yolk weight (YWT), yolk height (YH), yolk width (YW), yolk index (YI), albumen weight (AWT), albumen height (AH) and Haugh unit (HU). Correlation coefficients of these traits were obtained by Pearson’s Product Moment correlation method. Results indicated that the correlation coefficients between BWTFE and each of ASM, EN56 and HDP ranged from -0.77 in Na/F to 0.75 in na/na, -0.93 in F/na to 0.86 in Na/F and -0.89 in F/Na to 0.71 in Na/F, respectively. Large, positive and highly significant (P<0.01) correlation coefficients were observed between BWT of the laying hens and each of EWT (r =0.80, 0.85 and 0.74) and EW (r= 0.67, 0.75 and 0.62) in Na/F, Na/na and F/F, respectively. Egg length also correlated highly significantly (P<0.05) with BWT of F/na laying hens (r = 0.55). Yolk weight, YW, AH and AWT of most of the genotypes had positive and significant (P<0.05, P<0.01) correlation coefficients with BWT of the laying hens. All egg quality traits correlated positively among themselves in Na/na while only one negative coefficient (r =-0.022) was recorded between EWT and HU in F/Na. In conclusion, genetic improvement of body weight of laying hens will result in corresponding improvement of egg production and egg quality traits of the local chickens, especially those of naked neck and frizzle paternal origin. Indirect selection for any one of the positively correlated egg quality traits could result in genetic improvement in the others