A study was conducted to determine the effect of different nutrients i.e. metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) content of ration on the egg production and egg weight of rural layers. For the purpose six different experimental rations containing 2700, 2900 kcal/kg ME and 14, 16, 18 percent CP were offered to the birds. The results indicated that egg number increased with proportional adversely affected as the CP of the ration was increased weight of the layers was proportionally increased with ration at constant ME level, while increase in ME level egg weight. increase in ME, while it was at constant ME level. The egg increase in CP content of the did not significantly affect the egg weight.

In this study ELISA was standardized for detecting antibodies against Hydropericardium Syndrome Virus. Factors like Antigen, Conjugate and incubation time were studied. Standardization was carried out by checker board titration method. Optimum incubation time for colour development was found to be 15 minutes while 50 mug/ml of antigen gave better results than 100 mug/ml. The conjugate dilution of 1:500 was observed to give satisfactory results as determined by regression analysis. Cut off value was determined by adding 2SDs and 3SDs in the mean optical density (OD) values of negative serum samples. It was found that mean OD+2SD (0.0684) resulted in better diagnostic sensitivity) and diagnostic specificity than mean OD+3SDs (0.0741).

This study was conducted to examine comparative productive performance of different varieties of Desi chickens identified from group of Desi flock procured from rural field conditions of Mianwali and Bhakkar districts of Punjab province (Pakistan). A total of five varieties of Desi chickens viz., dark brown, medium brown, light brown, black and mixed colour were identified on the basis of their plumage colour and uniformity of body characters. Four hundred and eighty birds (96 of each variety) were selected for further study. The birds of each variety were randomly divided into 3 equal replicates. They were maintained in 15 separate pens on deep litter system under optimal managemental conditions and were fed a balanced layers ration ad-libitum. The birds were provided 16 hours light per day. The experiment was conducted for 8 weeks. The results indicated that varieties differed significantly in egg production, feed conversion efficiency and egg mass, whereas, no difference was observed in feed intake and egg weight between them. Based on the findings of this study, it appeared that different varieties of Desi chickens identified and selected during the course of this study on phenotypic basis differed in their productive potential on the basis of better productive potentials in terms of egg yield, FCR and egg mass, dark brown, and black varieties of Desi chickens could be used to carry out further selective breeding work to study possibility of improving their productive potentials.

In this study five samples each of serum glucose, serum cholesterol and uric acid contents were measured in Fayoumi, Rhode Island Red, Parent desi, desi Fl and desi F2 strains of chickens. Cholesterol contents were found to be lowest in desi F2 chickens whereas in other strains there was least significant difference, which can be attributed to reduced lipogenic activity in desi F2 generation. When five samples each of meat from two locations i.e. breast and thigh was subjected to proximate analysis it was found that there was no difference (P greater than 0.05) in crude protein, crude fat, total ash and moisture contents regardless of sex and strains. Dry matter contents differed (P less than 0.05) in breast meat and found to be lowest in Parent desi stocks.

This study was conducted to examine growth performance of black, dark brown and light brown varieties of Desi Generation-1 chickens obtained from selected Desi parents (originally procured from rural areas of Mianwali and Bhakkar districts) maintained at Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi. A total number of 900 day-old Desi chicks 300 each of black, dark brown and light brown varieties were divided into 3 separate groups and further sub-divided into 3 equal replicates. The experimental chicks were maintained on littered floor in 9 separate pens under optimal managemental conditions for a period of 12 weeks. They were fed ad libitum a balanced chick starter ration (from day- old to 8 weeks) and a grower mash (from 9 to 12 weeks). The birds had free access to clean and fresh drinking water. The results showed non- significant difference in growth rate, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency (feed/kg gain), whereas, significantly (P less than 0.05) lower mortality rate was recorded in Desi light brown chicks in comparison to other two varieties. The better growth performance in different varieties of Desi chicks observed during the present study than reported in earlier findings could be due to effect of genetic improvement through selection breeding carried out in the parent Desi flock.

This study was conducted to examine the present productive potentials of field Desi chickens housed under deep litter system. For this purpose a detailed survey was conducted in rural areas of Punjab Province (Pakistan) to know availability of true specimens of Desi birds. After the survey a total number of 1329 adult Desi birds were selected from different villages of Mianwali and Bhakkar districts. The birds were housed at Govt. Poultry Farm, Mianwali for initial acclimatization for 6 to 8 weeks and subjected then to prophylactic vaccination and then they were shifted to Breeding and Incubation Division of Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi. A total number of 450 Desi birds (150 each of black, dark brown and light brown varieties) were randomly selected and were sub-divided into 3 groups of equal size. They were maintained on littered floor in 9 separate pens under optimal managemental conditions for a period of 42 weeks. The results indicated that black, dark brown and light brown groups of Desi chickens produced 1.93, 1.96 and 2.17 dozen eggs (0.0459, 0.0467 and 0.0516 dozen eggs per week) with intake of 29.75, 29.29 and 29.64 kg feed, respectively. The results showed similar performance in egg production and feed intake of different groups of Desi chickens. A similar pattern in egg weight, egg mass and FCR (feed/kg eggs) was observed, however, FCR in light brown Desi (13.68) was found to be significantly (P less than 0.01) better than that of Desi black (15.42) birds. The results further showed depression in production potential of field Desi chickens in comparison to previous production data recorded in the earlier period.