ABSTRACT

This work investigated the effect of genotype on growth performance, linear body and carcass traits of Arbor Acre, Noiler and Yoruba ecotype chicken. A total number of three hundred (300) day old chicks, 100 each of Arbor Acre, Noiler and Yoruba ecotype chicken were used. The experimental design used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) while the statistical analysis was done using generalized linear procedure of SAS institute (2001). The traits considered were: linear body traits; body length (BL), body depth (BD), shank length (SL), wing length (WL), and drumstick length (DSL), growth performance traits - body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and carcass traits. Significant differences (P <0.05) were observed in final body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. The Arbor Acre genotype recorded the highest value in final body weight (1570g) and had Better Feed Conversion Ratio (3.28) followed by the Noiler genotype (721.17g) and (3.77 g) lastly, the Yoruba ecotype which had (592.92 g) and (6.18) respectively. The result of body weight and linear body traits showed significant weekly variations among the three genotypes. Based on overall mean values, the Arbor Acre genotype exhibited significant superiority in body weight (864.90g), body length (17.77cm), shank length (5.80), wing length (14.50cm) and body depth (20.78cm). The Noiler strain recorded least significance in keel length (6.27cm), drumstick (7.96cm) and shank length (5.30cm). The Noiler and Yoruba ecotype genotype did not differ significantly in body weight and body length which showed genetic similarity but differed in wing length and body depth in which the Noiler genotype was genetically superior. The Yoruba ecotype was most significant in drumstick length (9.08cm) and equally had a higher keel length and shank length than the Noiler genotype, whereas it equated to the Arbor Acre in keel length. The results obtained in body weight and linear traits in this study implied that growth responses of chicken are affected by their genetic potentials. Significant higher values were obtained in the Arbor Acre genotype in live weight (1566.67g), defeathered weight (1416.67g) and dressed weight (1131.67g) compared to the values obtained respectively in the Noiler genotype (1100.00g, 800.00g and 600.00g) and Yoruba ecotype (766.67g, 600.00g and 460.00g). The three genotypes showed strong genetic similarities in the internal organs except in kidney. The differences and similarities in observed in this study may be attributed to genotypic influences and the result shows that Noiler hybrid performed better than Yoruba ecotype while it equated with Arbor Acre strain in growth performance and carcass traits.