THE USE OF EGG MEASUREMENT FOR CHARACTERIZATION BETWEEN LOCAL CHICKEN POPULATIONS

Abstract

The study was carried out at Akpehe poultry farm, Makurdi. Benue state. Nigeria. About 840 eggs were collected from mating of 40 hens and 4 sires each of the Fulani and the Tiv chicken ecotypes housed singly and hand-mated. Egg length and diameter were measured with the aid of a vernier caliper. Egg weight were taken by a digital weighing balance. Egg index was obtained as a ratio of egg length to egg diameter. Data was analyzed by SAS (1996) and Mahalanobis D2 test (1936). The univariate and multivariate tests all indicated that there were significant (P<0.01) differences between the ecotypes. Egg weight, egg length, egg diameter and egg index have discriminating powers to differentiate the two ecotypes. Egg index discriminating power was however not significant (P<0.01). The pairwise and squared mahalanobis distance (D) between the ecotypes base on egg weight, egg length and egg diameter indicated significant (P<0.001) genetic distance between the ecotypes. The genetic resources of the Tiv and the Fulani local chickens in the savannah region of Nigeria are not homogenous. Selection within the ecotypes and subsequent crossing between the ecotypes will enhance higher heterosis due to the wide genetic distance between the ecotypes. Egg weight, egg length and egg diameter can be use to differentiate between local chicken populations.