Effect of feathering alleles (K/k+) on laying performance, hatchability parameters and some body measurements in two lines of White Plymouth Rock hens
2012
Mincheva, N., Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Lalev, M., Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Oblakova, M., Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Hristakieva, P., Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Ivanova, I., Agricultural Institute, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria)
The study aimed to investigate the effects of sex - linked feathering alleles on laying performance, hatchability parameters and body measurements in hens from two White Plymouth Rock lines (line L and line K) used as maternal lines in broiler production. Four groups of 18-week-old hens were formed, two of each line, with genotype K/W (slow feathering) and k+/W (rapid feathering) respectively. Groups of line L included 72 hens divided into 6 boxes with 1 rooster per 12 hens, whereas line K groups comprised 96 hens of each genotype, housed in 8 boxes with one rooster per 12 hens, totally 192 birds. The K locus alleles had no significant effect on egg production traits (p is greater than 0.05). The presence of slow feathering allele resulted in lower fertility and hatchability of set eggs in both studied lines (p is less than 0.05). A substantial effect of feathering rate alleles was observed with respect to the egg shape index (p is less than 0.05), eggshell thickness (p is less than 0.001) and albumen index (p is less than 0.05). The presence of the slow feathering allele resulted in lower live body weight of birds from line K at the age of 36 weeks (p is less than 0.05), but in longer thighs (p is less than 0.01) and metatarsi (p is less than 0.001) in both lines. The selection for creation of slow feathering lines for feather sexing purposes should take into consideration the effect of the K gene on studied traits.
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