China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine ›› 2021, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (6): 2113-2121.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2021.06.024

• Genetics and Breeding • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Identification and Comparison of Feather Development,Growth Performance and Egg Production Performance of Early and Late Feathering Beijing-You Chickens

JIANG Linlin1,2, MA Tenghe2, LI Yunlei1, SHI Lei1, YUAN Jingwei1, MA Hui1, WANG Panlin1, WANG Yuanmei1, GE Pingzhuang1, ZONG Yunhe1, BIAN Shixiong1, CHEN Chao1, WANG Maosen3, GONG Yanzhang4, CHEN Jilan1, SUN Yanyan1   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
    2. College of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China;
    3. Zhangjiakou Husbandry Station, Zhangjiakou 075000, China;
    4. Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
  • Received:2020-10-16 Online:2021-06-20 Published:2021-06-18

Abstract: In order to provide basic data for genetic selection,breeding and fine housing of Beijing-You chickens,the females from pure line of Beijing-You chickens were used to identify and compare the feather development,growth and reproductive performance of early and late feathering hens.According to the relative length characteristics of the primary feathers and the coverts,534 newborn female chicks were identified and divided into early and late feathering subgroups.For which,the early feathering included K1 (primary feather is at least 5 mm longer than the covert feather) and K2 (primary feather is 2-5 mm longer than the covert feather).The late feathering included M1 (the primary feather length is equal to or maximumly 2 mm longer than the covert feather),M2 (the primary feather is shorter than the covert feather) and M3 (the primary feather is not growing out).PCR method was used to verify the female chicks at 6 week of age.Before 7 d of age,the length of primary feathers and coverts were measured every other day,and every other week from 7 to 42 d.Body weight was measured every week from 1 to 8 weeks,and every other week from 9 to 18 weeks.The egg production performance including age at the first egg,egg number until 43 and 52 weeks of age,clutch traits were calculated according to the individual egg production records.The results showed that identification of early and late feathering chickens using phenotype characteristics and PCR method was consistent.The early and late feathering accounted for 25% and 75% of Beijing-You chickens,respectively.The majority of late feathering hens were M2 type,and there were a few M1 and M3 type.The primary feather length of early feathering chickens was higher than that of late feathering chickens within 21-day old (P<0.05).At 28 d,there was no significant difference between M1 and M2(P>0.05),but M3 was still shorter than that of early feathering chickens (P<0.05).Compared with late feathering,the body weight of early feathering Beijing-You chickens was heavier after 70 d of age (P<0.05),and the age at the first egg was significantly earlier (P<0.05),but the egg number of 43 weeks was lower (P<0.05).Except egg shape index of early feathering hens was higher than that of late feathering ones (P<0.05),there was no significant difference in other egg quality traits.In all,the results in this study indicated that the growth and egg production performance were different in early and late feathered Beijing-You females,and there should be differences in breeding direction and production management,including performing selection of early sex maturity,which was the age of the first egg in the late feathered line and adjusting the dietary energy and protein level of the early feathered line.

Key words: Beijing-You chicken; late feathering; early feathering; production performance; feather development

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