COMPARATIVE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION PERFORMACE EVALUATION OF KOEKOEK AND WHITE LEGHORN CHICKEN BREEDS AND THEIR RECIPROCAL CROSSES AT HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA

Abstract:

This study was conducted in HU poultry farm with the objective of evaluating and comparing production and reproduction performances, heterosis and combining ability up to the age at first egg laying for pure, straight and reciprocal crosses of Koekoek and White Leghorn poultry breeds. Two pure breeds of chickens namely Koekoek (KK) and White Leghorn (WH) were used in 2×2 diallel crossing experiment by AI mating system. From a total of 172 chickens (12 cocks and 160 hens), 3 cocks and 40 hens were used from each genotype for sire and dam line, respectively. Data of 288 chicks (144 males and 144 females) were randomly selected from 733 chicks after the 4th weeks and 72 chicks (36 males and 36 females) from each genotype with three replication were used for all measurements. The result showed that there were significant (p