INVESTIGATION ON PRODUCTION TRAITS OF BROILER CHICKEN HYBRID COMBINATIONS

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in the selection base of the Poultry farm, Institute of Agriculture – Stara Zagora between April and June 2012. Two broiler chicken genotype combinations were used: the first was the offspring of line M roosters with line K hens (M x K), and the second – of line M roosters with line L hens (M x L).
For this purpose, 300 eggs of each combination were set for incubation. The fertility rate, embryonic death rate, weight loss between incubation days 0 and 18, and the hatchability of set and fertile eggs were determined. The number of chickens included in the study was 100 from each genotype (50 males and 50 females). All chicks were sexed, wing-banded and placed in 4 floor pens with wood shavings as litter material until 49 days of age.
The body weight was determined individually by weighing chickens at 1, 14, 28, 42 and 49 days of age. Feed conversion was calculated based on data on feed intake and weight gain of chickens. By the end of the experiment, a slaughter analysis was performed of three female and three male broilers with a live weight close to the group average. The results on fertility rate and hatchability from eggs set and fertile eggs in studied broiler combinations showed a tendency towards higher values for the М х L combination - 94.45%, 87.50% and 92.57%, respectively.
The body weight of the two different studied broiler genotypes was almost the same by the end of the experiment in both male and female birds. Proportions of bratfertig and grill (as percentage of live weight at slaughter) were better in male M x L hybrids compared ot male M x K birds. In females, higher relative values of boneless breast were established in M x K compared to M x L broilers. Therefore, both combinations carrying the traits of meat type chicken lines from the Institute of Agriculture – Stara Zagora, are appropriate for efficient production of commercial broiler chickens.