TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page i
Approval page ii
Declaration iii
Certification iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgement vi
Abstract vii
Table of Content
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Aims and Objectives 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Nigerian Indigenous Chickens 3
2.2 Characteristics of Nigerian Indigenous Chickens 3
2.3 Broilers 11
2.3.1General Biology of Broilers 11
2.4 Role of Chickens in the Small Holder Farming Sector 14
2.5 Genetic Background of Nigerian Indigenous Chickens 14
2.5.1 Molecular Basis of Indigenous Chickens 15
2.5.2 Productive and Reproductive Performance of the Local Chickens
Growth Performance 16
2.5.3 Egg Production 18
2.5.4 Fertility and Hatchability of Eggs 18
2.6 Life Cycle of Chickens 19
2.7 Meat Quality and Consumer’s Preference for the Indigenous Chicken 22
2.7.1 Estimate of heritability of Growth Traits in Indigenous Chickens 23
2.7.2 Indigenous Chickens and Future Breed Development 24
2.8 Comparison of Gastrointestinal Tracts and pH Values of digestive
Organs of Broilers and Indigenous Venda Chickens Fed the same Diet 24
MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Study Area 27
3.2 Data collection 27
RESULTS
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis 28
4.2 Experimental End Points 28
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 32
5.1 Discussion 32
5.2 Future Research 32
REFERENCES 33
ABSTRACT
Poultry products offer considerable potentials to bridge the animal protein intake gap for the fact that poultry grows faster, mature earlier and has greater affordability, easy to rear and absence of taboos to production and consumption than other species of livestock, such as pigs, sheep and goats. A total of 40 chickens comprising of 10 commercial broilers, 10 layers and 10 Hens and 10 cocks (indigenous chickens) were used. Data were collected on body weight of the agric and local chickens. The study revealed that the body weight of layers, broilers, cocks and hens have significant differences (P > 0.05). The superiority in body weight trait was associated with broiler chicks at all studied ages. The research revealed that, on the basis of results of productivity, commercial broiler, cockerel and cross-bred chicks could be reared up to 28, 56 and 63 days respectively to reach target weights close to 1250, 850 and 850g respectively to obtain maximum profit.
INTRODUCTION
Indigenous chickens are considered an important genetic resource with renewed efforts being made to save these unique lines. It has been shown that they have a very important socioeconomic role to play in poor rural communities. Backyard indigenous chickens provide rural communities with a means to convert available feed-stuffs around the household or village into highly nutritious products, i.e. meat and eggs (Mtileni et al., 2011).
Animal production in developing countries such as Nigeria is faced with various challenges mostly during the dry season of the year (Agbabiaka et al.). Malnutrition is a common phenomenon, especially in the developing world, resulting in an increased demand for good quality protein. This has resulted to every household keeping indigenous chickens and layers.
Native or local chicken is a name of a bird that was originated in an area and adapted to its environment. These birds are characterized by their small size, different Pulmage colours, different comb shapes, low production rate and small egg sizes. These characteristics have been developed through natural selection (Abu and Mayah, 2009).
Poultry products offer considerable potentials to bridge the animal protein intake gap for the fact that poultry grows faster, mature earlier and has greater affordability, easy to rear and absence of taboos to production and consumption than other species of livestock. Such as pigs, sheep and goats.
Although, Nigeria is richly endowed with a variety of animal protein sources, the total production is not sufficient to meet the requirements of the people. (Ibe, 2000). Poultry production however remains one of the potential avenues to achieve sustainable and rapid production of high quality protein to meet the increasing demand for animal protein (Akpata and Ojo, 2000).
Nigeria, like most other developing countries, suffers greatly from a constant shortage and escalating cost of protein and energy feed resources for livestock (F.A.O., 2000). This situation has become highly magnified due to high competition between livestock and the ever growing human population for the same source of food, particularly energy feed such as maize, sorghum etc. Whereas these feeds form the basic constituents of the rations for the monogastric animals form the major sources of human food (F.A.O., 2002).
AIM/ OBJECTIVES
- The aim of this study is to compare the body parameters of local and agric chickens.
- This research was conducted in order to encourage the production and consumption of locally breed chickens.
The objectives are to determine:
- The body weight of broilers, layers, indigenous (local) cocks and hens.
- Plumage colours of local and agric chickens.
- Comb shape and colour
