RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY WEIGHT AND LINEAR BODY MEASUREMENTS IN MATURED MUSCOVY AND KHAKI CAMBELL DUCKS

Abstract

The study was conducted at Bauchi local government area of Bauchi state, Nigeria to determine the relationship between body weight and body linear measurements in two breeds of ducks. Data on 150 ducks comprising 78 (fourty male and thirty-eight female) Muscovy and 72 (thirty-two male and fourty female) Khaki Campbell were obtained and subjected to analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and regression analysis. Significant (P < 0.001) effects of breed and sex on body weight and body linear measurements were detected. Muscovy duck had higher values in all the parameters compared to khaki Campbell. Males exhibited higher values among the parameters measured than their female counterpart. Most of the correlation coefficients among body weight and linear body measurements were strong positive and significant. The most reliable prediction from regression analysis was between body weight and body length + chest width + chest circumference (R2 = 0.919). The research has shown that body linear measurements could be used to predict body weight in matured ducks. Under field conditions, body length, chest width and chest circumference can be combined in a multiple regression equation to predict the body weight of mature ducks with some level of accuracy.