Association of Different Body Sizes and Egg Quality Characteristics in White Leghorn Chicken Breed of South Africa
2024
Tyasi, Thobela Louis | Sathekge, Lindiwe Johannah | Hlokoe, Victoria Rankotsane
Egg quality could influence the price of the table and hatching eggs. However, the effects of hen’s live body weight on egg characteristics are poorly understood. The present study evaluated the influence of body weight (BW) on egg characteristics, such as egg width (EWD), shell weight (SW), egg length (EL), albumen weight (AW), yolk weight (YW), shell surface index (SI), albumen ratio (AR), shell ratio (SR), and yolk ratio (YR) of White Leghorn chicken. A total of 100 White Leghorn chickens at 30 weeks of age were used in the current study of which 300 eggs were collected. Live body weight was classified into three groups namely, small (≤ 195g), medium (196-220g), and large (≥ 221g). The results revealed that the White Leghorn layer’s live body weight was positively influenced by the eggshell index and egg length. Additionally, the results indicated that body weight did not affect EW, SW, EWD, SR, YW, AW, AR, and YR. In conclusion, the live body weight influences egg length and shell index in the White Leghorn chicken breed.
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