Banner
Current IssueEditorial BoardOnline First ArticlesArchive
Current IssueEditorial BoardOnline First ArticlesArchive

volume 49 issue 4 (august 2015) : 429-433,   Doi: 10.5958/0976-0555.2015.00160.0

Incidence of split feathers and its association with carcass, conformation and bilateral asymmetry traits in male broiler chicken

S
Samita Saini
I
I.S. Bajwa
1Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Sciences, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana-141 004, India.
Cite article:- Saini Samita, Bajwa I.S. (2025). Incidence of split feathers and its association with carcass, conformation and bilateral asymmetry traits in male broiler chicken. Indian Journal of Animal Research. 49(4): 429-433. doi: 10.5958/0976-0555.2015.00160.0.

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted on broiler population to evaluate the incidence of split feathers and its association with carcass, conformation and bilateral asymmetry traits. The incidence was higher in growth line indicating that the selection for body weight increased the incidence of split feathers by 8.9%. Males in both growth and production line have higher incidence of split feathers by 51.2 and 31.4% respectively than females indicating sexual dimorphism for the trait. The conformation traits were more developed in birds having higher scores of split feathers. The normal feathered birds were having lowest live, dressed, and eviscerated and heart weight indicating the positive association between carcass traits and feather splitting. The asymmetry measures of directional, fluctuating and relative asymmetry have non significant differences between the different feathering scores in the traits measured indicating lack of association between asymmetry and split feathering.

REFERENCES

  1. Duncan, D B (1955) Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 11:1–42.
  2. Graham, J. H., Freeman D. C., and Emlen J. M. (1993) Antisymmetry, directional asymmetry, and dynamic morphogenesis. Genetica 89:121–137.
  3. Harvey W R (1988) Least squares analysis of data with unequal subclass numbers. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Science and Education Administration
  4. Lens, L., and Van Dongen S. (1999) Evidence for organism-wide asymmetry in five bird species of a fragmented afrotropical forest. Proc. R. Lond. B. 266:1055–1060.
  5. Knierim, U., Van Dongen S., Forkman B., Tuyttens F. A. M., Pinka M. S¡, Campo J. L., and Weissengruber G. E. (2007) Fluctuating asymmetry as an animal welfare indicator – a review of methodology and validity. Physiol. Behav. doi:10.1016/ j.physbeh.2007.02.014
  6. Møller, A. P., Sanotra G. S., and. Vestergaard K. S. (1995) Developmental stability in relation to population density and breed of chickens Gallus gallus. Poult. Sci. 74:1761–1771
  7. Polak, M. (2003) Developmental Instability: Causes and Consequences. Oxford Univ. Press, New York, NY.
  8. Renema RA, Robinson FE, Beliveau RM, Davis HC and Lindquist EA. (2007) Relationships of Body Weight, Feathering and Footpad Condition with Reproductive and Carcass Morphology of End-of-Season Commercial Broiler Breeder Hens Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 16: 27-38
  9. Tuyttens, F. A. M. (2003) Measures of developmental instability as an integrated, a posteriori indicator of farm animal welfare: A review. Anim. Welf. 12:535–540.
  10. Tuyttens, F. A. M., Maertens L., Van Poucke E., Van Nuffel A., Creve J., and Lens L.. (2005) Measuring fluctuating asymmetry in fattening rabbits: A valid indicator of performance and housing quality. J. Anim. Sci. 83:2645–2652.
  11. Yang A, Dunnigton EA and Siegel PB(1997) Developmental stability in stocks of White Leghorn chickens Poultry Science 76: 1632-36.
Published In
Indian Journal of Animal Research
Article Metrics
Metrics Icon
0
Views
0
Citations
Reviewed By
Share Article
Download Article
In this Article
    Contact us
    Follow us

    volume 49 issue 4 (august 2015) : 429-433,   Doi: 10.5958/0976-0555.2015.00160.0

    Incidence of split feathers and its association with carcass, conformation and bilateral asymmetry traits in male broiler chicken

    S
    Samita Saini
    I
    I.S. Bajwa
    1Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Sciences, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana-141 004, India.
    Cite article:- Saini Samita, Bajwa I.S. (2025). Incidence of split feathers and its association with carcass, conformation and bilateral asymmetry traits in male broiler chicken. Indian Journal of Animal Research. 49(4): 429-433. doi: 10.5958/0976-0555.2015.00160.0.

    ABSTRACT

    The study was conducted on broiler population to evaluate the incidence of split feathers and its association with carcass, conformation and bilateral asymmetry traits. The incidence was higher in growth line indicating that the selection for body weight increased the incidence of split feathers by 8.9%. Males in both growth and production line have higher incidence of split feathers by 51.2 and 31.4% respectively than females indicating sexual dimorphism for the trait. The conformation traits were more developed in birds having higher scores of split feathers. The normal feathered birds were having lowest live, dressed, and eviscerated and heart weight indicating the positive association between carcass traits and feather splitting. The asymmetry measures of directional, fluctuating and relative asymmetry have non significant differences between the different feathering scores in the traits measured indicating lack of association between asymmetry and split feathering.

    REFERENCES

    1. Duncan, D B (1955) Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 11:1–42.
    2. Graham, J. H., Freeman D. C., and Emlen J. M. (1993) Antisymmetry, directional asymmetry, and dynamic morphogenesis. Genetica 89:121–137.
    3. Harvey W R (1988) Least squares analysis of data with unequal subclass numbers. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Science and Education Administration
    4. Lens, L., and Van Dongen S. (1999) Evidence for organism-wide asymmetry in five bird species of a fragmented afrotropical forest. Proc. R. Lond. B. 266:1055–1060.
    5. Knierim, U., Van Dongen S., Forkman B., Tuyttens F. A. M., Pinka M. S¡, Campo J. L., and Weissengruber G. E. (2007) Fluctuating asymmetry as an animal welfare indicator – a review of methodology and validity. Physiol. Behav. doi:10.1016/ j.physbeh.2007.02.014
    6. Møller, A. P., Sanotra G. S., and. Vestergaard K. S. (1995) Developmental stability in relation to population density and breed of chickens Gallus gallus. Poult. Sci. 74:1761–1771
    7. Polak, M. (2003) Developmental Instability: Causes and Consequences. Oxford Univ. Press, New York, NY.
    8. Renema RA, Robinson FE, Beliveau RM, Davis HC and Lindquist EA. (2007) Relationships of Body Weight, Feathering and Footpad Condition with Reproductive and Carcass Morphology of End-of-Season Commercial Broiler Breeder Hens Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 16: 27-38
    9. Tuyttens, F. A. M. (2003) Measures of developmental instability as an integrated, a posteriori indicator of farm animal welfare: A review. Anim. Welf. 12:535–540.
    10. Tuyttens, F. A. M., Maertens L., Van Poucke E., Van Nuffel A., Creve J., and Lens L.. (2005) Measuring fluctuating asymmetry in fattening rabbits: A valid indicator of performance and housing quality. J. Anim. Sci. 83:2645–2652.
    11. Yang A, Dunnigton EA and Siegel PB(1997) Developmental stability in stocks of White Leghorn chickens Poultry Science 76: 1632-36.
    In this Article
      Contact us
      Follow us
      Published In
      Indian Journal of Animal Research

      Editorial Board

      View all (0)