DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS AND REGRESSION COEFFICIENT OF THE GROWTH TRAITS IN THE NIGERIAN HEAVY LOCAL CHICKEN ECOTYPE

Abstract

Body weight is a very important characteristic in animal husbandry due to selection criteria and economic profit, and linear body measurements are used as an indirect method of estimating body weight. The aim of the study was to predict body weight from the linear body measurements and establish regression equations for the prediction and determine the growth trait that most predicts body weight for selection and improvement purposes. A total of 180 grower chicks were used for the
study. The birds were generated from the existing 7th Generation of the Nigeria heavy local chicken ecotype (NHLCE) parent stock in the Department of Animal Science farm. At the end of the brooding period, the grower-chicks were randomly chosen for the study. Data on body weight and linear body measurement was taken bi-weekly. The results showed that at 20 weeks of age, the birds had an average body weight of 1627.78g and, an average body length, shank length, chest circumference,
thigh circumference and thigh length of 24.14cm, 8.32cm, 37.19cm, 11.01cm and 14.50cm, respectively. The regression result showed that chest circumference is the best predictor of body with highest value of R2 (0.72) and lowest standard error (1.49). It was therefore concluded that linear body measurements can be used to predict body weight and the best predictor of body weight is the chest circumference.