Conservation and Genetic Evaluation of Exotic Chicken Germplasms and Their Crossbreds Under Intensive Rearing in Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v14i1.47-55.8098Keywords:
Chicken germplasm, crossbreeding, genetic improvement, meat quality, performance traitsAbstract
This study aimed to enhance the conservation and productivity of four purebred chicken lines (White Leghorn, WL; Rhode Island Red, RIR; White Rock, WR; and Barred Plymouth Rock, BPR), as well as their crossbreds with Desi chickens. For crossbreeding, two of the pure lines, BPR and RIR, were used to develop three crossbred combinations: Cross 1 (BPR × Desi), Cross 2 (Desi × RIR), and Cross 3 (RIR × Desi, reciprocal to Cross 2). A total of 4,000-day-old chicks were selected using a multi-trait index incorporating age at first egg (days), 40th week body weight (g), egg production rate measured between 168 and 280 days of age (%), and 40th week egg weight (g). Crossbreds were assessed for growth performance, reproductive traits, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics. Selection in the pure lines achieved significant genetic gains, with a selection response of 2.81% for egg production in WR and 1.96 g for egg weight in WL, while maintaining high genetic diversity (effective population size, Ne > 80) and minimal inbreeding (ΔF = 0.006). In crossbred evaluation, Cross 3 showed significantly higher (P<0.05) body weight (1352.8 g) and weight gain (1314.74 g) compared to Cross 1 (1302.5 g; 1265.19 g) and Cross 2 (1215.1 g; 1179.23 g) at 12 weeks of age. Feed intake was highest in Cross 3 (3447.25 g), with the best FCR (2.622 vs. 2.712 in Cross 1 and 2.642 in Cross 2). The superior performance of Cross 3 over its reciprocal cross (Cross 2) underscores the critical role of maternal or paternal line effects in crossbreeding outcomes. The findings suggest that conserving native genetic resources, combined with selective breeding, can significantly enhance productivity performance in tropical poultry farming.
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