Open AccessSEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN THE GROWTH PATTERN OF BRIOLERS UNDER DIFFERENT DIETARY AND HOUSING CONDITION
Author(s) -
E. A. O. Laseinde,
J. A. Oluyemi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nigerian journal of animal production
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0331-2062
DOI - 10.51791/njap.v24i1.2329
Subject(s) - broiler , cage , starter , deep litter , sexual dimorphism , zoology , biology , litter , body weight , ecology , endocrinology , food science , mathematics , combinatorics
Two hundred and seventy day old broiler chicks were randomly distributed among three dietary treatment (iso-nitrogenous high and low energy straight-run diets and a conventional broiler diet) and two housing condition (the cage and deep litter) to study the comparative growth pattern between the male and female broilers. Each treatment was replicated thrice at 15 birds per replicate. The chicks were raised for 8 weeks. There were significant interactions (p 0.05) on body weight gains (215.0g vs 214.3g/bird/wk – cage vs floor). However, males gained slightly more weight in the cage while female gained slightly more on deep litter. Both recorded higher gains on the floor at the starter phase and in the cage at the finisher period. Coefficient of variation was respectively lower for the male broilers, birds in the cage, birds at the finisher phase and lowest for birds on conventional diet. Feed consumption was significantly higher (p<0.05) for lower energy diet (68.9 vs 65.1g/birds/day) as well as by birds in the cage (69.4 vs 64.5g/birds/day) with correspondingly lower utilization rate.