PERFORMANCE AND HETEROTIC EFFECT OF THREE STRAINS OF LOCAL TURKEY CROSSBRED IN THE HUMID TROPICS

Abstract

A total of 215 day-old poults were used to evaluate the performance, heterosis and reciprocal effects of three strains of local turkey crossbred (Meleagric gallapavo) in the humid tropics. The experiment was conducted using three phenotypes of indigenous domestic turkeys with the plumage colour: black, white and lavender (spotted). The poults used for the study were hatched from a foundation stock of 86 turkeys comprising 25 Hens and 5 Toms forblack and white phenotypes each, respectively and 21 Hens and 5 Toms for lavender (spotted) phenotype. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was also used to analyze the data with phenotypic class as a major factor and batch as block. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results obtained showed that body weight (BW) and Linear body measurements (body length, wing length, drumstick length, breast width, shank length, keel length and neck length) had a significant increase as age (weeks) increased for the main crossbred (black x lavender (spotted), BxS) and Lavender x Black compared with its purebred (Black x Black, (BxB), White x White (WxW) and lavender x lavender (SxS) counterparts. final body weights for main crossbred (3710.25, 3732.42 and 3738.66g) and reciprocal crossbred (3791.58, 3795.72 and 3797.44g) differed significantly (P<0.05) across the weeks. Positive heterosis (hybrid vigour) was observed for BW and all LBMs measured in the main (direct) (BxW, BxS, and WxS) and reciprocal crossbreds (WxB, SxB and SxW) studied, ranging from 0.12 to 34.16%, respectively. Reciprocal effect was not significant for BW and all LBMs with the values ranging from -0.015 to 0.661 for BxW, BxS and WxS crossbreds. Non-significant differences observed in RE suggests that any of the breeds may be used as sire or dam in planned crossbreeding programmes.