RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY WEIGHT AND TESTICULAR INDICES OF MUSCOVY AND KHAKI CAMPBELL DRAKES IN A SEMI-ARID AREA OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was conducted at the Livestock, Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, Borno State. The growth traits of Nigerian domestic ducks have not been studied intensively like poultry chickens which hampered their production improvement in Nigeria especially sahelian zones and therefore, the study was aimed to determine the association between body weight and linear body measurements of two ducks. A total of 200 sexually matured Muscovy and Khaki Campbell ducks were used for the study. Data obtained were body weight (BW), body length (BDL), breast circumference (BTC), Drumstick circumference (DSC), neck length (NKL) and total leg length (TLL) using weighing balance and simple measuring tape calibrated in centimeters. Correlation test was used to analyze the association between body weight and among testicular measurements. The results revealed a high and positive and significant (P<0.05, P<0.01) correlation among all the testicular parameters measured (0.73 – 0.99) in Muscovy and (r = 0.85 – 0.99) in Khaki Campbell Drakes. There were generally low, negatively correlated and not significant correlation between body weight and all the testicular morphometric traits in Muscovy Drakes while in Khaki Campbell Drakes there were some moderate correlation. The correlations were generally high, positive and significant (P<0.05, P<0.01) among the testicular measurements. The relationship among the testicular weight and morphometric traits were very high in both strain. The study concluded that Body weight had no association with testicular morphometry in Muscovy drakes.
However, in Khaki Campbell drake's body weight had moderate association with some testicular morphometry.