Vol. 10, Special Issue 9 (2021)

Author(s):
Chandrashekar M, Yathish HM, Basavraj Inamdar, Naveen Kumar S, SB Prasanna and CS Nagaraja

Abstract:
The present study was carried out to characterize growth traits in Indigenous and Punjab Broiler 2 (PB2) birds. The Indigenous and synthetic colored broiler dam line PB2 chicken groups, each consisting of two hundred birds, reared and maintained under standard management procedures at AICRP on Poultry Meat, Veterinary College, Bengaluru formed the experimental birds of this study and these birds were subjected for recording growth traits. The mean body weight (BW, g) in Indigenous chicken at zero day, 2^nd week, 4^th week, 6^th week, 8^th week, 10^th week, and 12^th week was 29.77±0.21, 75.93±0.86, 162.20±2.49, 303.00±4.67, 461.51±7.69, 659.10±9.99 and 823.38±12.87, respectively. Likewise, in PB2 birds, the mean BW at zero day, 2^nd week, 4^th week and 6^th week was 46.07±0.29, 243.35±12.58, 660.06±7.33 and 1182.60±14.88. The mean average daily gain (ADG, g) determined at 1^st fortnight, 2^nd fortnight, 3^rd fortnight, 4^th fortnight, 5^th fortnight, 6^th fortnight and for the entire period of study in Indigenous birds was 3.08±0.06, 5.75±0.13, 9.39±0.18, 10.57±0.28, 13.17±0.39, 10.95±0.59, and 8.82±0.14, respectively. Similarly, in PB2 birds the ADG determined at 1^st fortnight, 2^nd fortnight, 3^rd fortnight and for the entire period of study was 13.15±0.84, 414.62±13.68, 519.99±11.68 and 25.26±0.33. The BWs and ADGs in PB2 birds were higher than that of Indigenous birds. The variabilities in the growth traits of Indigenous and PB2 chicken of present investigation may be utilized for proper selection and improvement of birds in these economic traits.