EFFECT OF STRAINS ON SOME GROWTH TRAITS OF MEAT-TYPE CHICKENS REARED IN DERIVED SAVANNA ENVIRONMENT OF NIGERIA.

*Amao, S.R¹.; Ojedapo, L.O² and Sosina, A.O³

^*1Department of Agricultural Education, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo

 ²Dept. of Animal Production and Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Tech. Ogbomoso

³Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State

E-mail: amaosr@yahoo.com,amaosr@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Thestudy focuses on the effect of strains on some growth traits of meat type chickens. Data were obtained on 200 broiler chicks consisting of 100 each of Ross and Anak birds respectively. They were divided into two sex groups-male and females lines and parameters measured at 1- 8 weeks of age and were analysed for fixed effect of strain and sex in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Significant sex (P<0.05) differences were obtained among the growth traits. Body weight, shank length, breast width and thigh length in both sexes were significantly (P<0.05) differed at 1 and 3 weeks, bodyweight was only significantly different (P<0.05) in female strains chicken. Significant (P<0.05) differences were obtained for body weight, breast width, shank length and thigh circumference in both sexes except that thigh length were not significantly (P>0.05) different in female strain chicken at 5th week. At later age, significantly sex differences (P<0.05) for all traits measure also favoured male Ross strain. A highly positive significant (P<0.001) correlation coefficient was observed for body weight and thigh. The interaction between strain and sex had no significant effect.

Keywords: Sex, Strains, Growth traits, Derived savanna.