Up-grading indigenous chicken with sire line (SG-98) cocks of ShikaBrown® in villages around Zaria, Kaduna State

Abstract

This study examines the effect of up-grading the indigenous chickens with sire line cocks of ShikaBrown parent chicken around Zaria. The study was carried out on small holder poultry farmers who keep and practiced domestic chicken production. Well-structured questionnaire were administered to obtain demographic data on the size of households and knowledge in keeping domestic chicken in the villages. Data were collected, pooled together and analyzed for average
egg size, clutch number, percent hatch, mortality, and body weight at 20weeks from 2014 – 2017 on both pure indigenous chicken line (IC x IC) and cross between ShikaBrown sire line (SG) with indigenous chickens (SG x IC). Results showed that average egg weight increased significantly (p<0.05) from 35.11g (IC) to 41.08g (SG x IC), egg number per clutch (IC = 10; SG x IC = ≤11) and significant difference (p<0.05) for average body weight at 20weeks (IC = 1057g; SG x IC = 1350g). There was a change in the management system from extensive to semi intensive while most of the flock plumage started becoming homogenous while there were observed increase in shank length. There was no significantly difference (p>0.05) for mortality and percent hatchability. In conclusion therefore, the indigenous chickens in Nigeria can be improved by a well-planned cross breeding scheme with exotic chickens in villages which will gradually improve the living conditions of the farmers.