Study on productive performance of native crossbred chickens: I. Reproductive performance

Reproductive performances of native crossbred chicken were studied using 3 treatments, according to locations, T1, T2, and T3 which represented Khon Kaen University (T1) Ban Nonswan (T2) and Ban Hintang (T3) sites respectively. One hundred sixty Rhode Island Red X Barred Plymouth Rock females mated with 16 native cocks were used for T1 and 110 Rhode Island Red X Barred Plymouth Rock females mated with 11 native cocks were used for T2 and T3 Pen mating was used for each treatment, with artificial incubation performed on weekly basis. The results of the experiment indicated that egg production (henday production) was singnificantly different (P0.05) among the treatments used, (T3 was higher than T2, 64.72+-10.51 and 50.73+-9.53 percent, but T1 did not differ from T3 and T2, 59.45+-6.15 percent). No significant difference was detected regarding feed consumption of parents to produce 1 egg, (205.13+-17.76, 236.38+-45.65 and 196.50+-38.18 grams for T1, T2 and T3 respectively). Significant difference (P0.01) was recorded in fertility, i.e. T3 was higher than T2 and T2 was higher than T1, (92.21+-3.42, 85.40+-7.57, and 78.79+-5.31 percent respectively). In addition to this, significant difference (P0.01) was also noted in the hatchability of fertile eggs i.e. T1 was higher than T2 and T3, but T2 and T3 did not differ (92.96+-3.90, 71.69+-12.62, and 72.53+-22.18 percent for T1, T2 and T3 respectively). However, the hatchability of total eggs set did not differ significantly, but there was the trend that the hatchability of total eggs of T1 was higher than T2 and T3 (73.46+-5.67, 61.83+-11.07 and 66.62+-20.61 percent). There was no significant difference regarding the liveability of the hens, but T3 showed better trend than T2 and T1 (96.36,92.42 and 91.03 percent). The estimate production cost per chick of T1 was lower than T2 and T3 (5.02, 6.63 and 5.28 bahts, respectively). Comparative assesment made on the efficiency of reproductive performances showed that the efficiencies of egg production, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, hatchability of total eggs, and liveability of T3 were higher than T2 (108.86 vs 85.33; 117.03 vs 108.39; 78.25 vs 77.12; 90.96 vs 84.15; and 105.86 vs 101.53 percent of T1 respectively), but the efficiences of feed consumption of parents to produce 1 egg, and estimate production cost per chick of T3 were lower than T2 (95.79 vs 115.23; and 105.18 vs 132.07 percent of T1 respectively).