Effect of age on production characteristics of Boschveld indigenous chickens of South Africa reared intensively

Abstract

The Boschveld indigenous chicken is a breed that was developed in South Africa for rural household free-range production of meat and eggs. A performance test was carried out to identify their production characteristics when reared intensively, and to estimate the responses of the production characteristics to age, based on optimization functions. Day-old chicks were procured from the breeder and reared to point of lay, with 1432 layers generating the data. Parameters include egg weight (g), egg number, hen day egg production (HDEP) (%), feed intake (g/b/d), bodyweight (kg), bodyweight gain (g), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency (FE), and mortality from start of lay until 44 weeks old. There was a significant effect of age on all these production parameters, except for FCR, which was not affected significantly by age as the birds grew. On fitting a prediction and optimization function using a regression model, these parameters showed significant linear response to age: HDEP, feed intake (g), and bodyweight (kg), while significant quadratic responses were found in egg weight and FCR. The prediction model shows that at age 34, 52 and 65 weeks of lay, bodyweight, HDEP and feed intake respectively, would be optimized, while at age 36 and 43 weeks, FCR and egg weight respectively, would be optimized. This implies that Boschveld indigenous chicken production characteristics can be targeted at the appropriate age and can be optimized, given the age of lay that the birds are in.

Modelling Growth Of Dual-purpose Sasso Hens In The Tropics Using Different Algorithms

“…This may equally be considered when making decisions on how to optimize feeding and genetically improve the stock. The present result is comparable to that of Okoro et al [31] where BW optimality was attained at week 34 of age (>32.5<47.5 weeks of the present study).…”

Effects of palm kernel shell ash as organic mineral supplement on performance of broiler chicks

“…Also, results of the optimization function indicate that amongst all the significantly influenced dietary inclusion levels of PKSA, only crop and small intestine content pH significantly fitted into a quadratic model with quadratic functions of Y = 5.005 + 0.005x -0.0001x 2 and Y = 7.292 -0.035x + 0.001x 2 ; and optimal/minimal inclusion levels of 25 and 17.5 respectively. Studies using quadratic models to optimize inclusion levels of feed materials and laying patterns of chicken had been reported elsewhere (Okoro et al 2016a(Okoro et al , 2016b(Okoro et al , 2017. (Okoro et al 2016a(Okoro et al , 2016b identified optimal supplementation levels of onion and garlic in feed of different indigenous breed of chicken using quadratic regression model, while (Okoro et al 2017) identified the optimal laying performance of Boschveld indigenous chicken using quadratic regression model.…”

“…Studies using quadratic models to optimize inclusion levels of feed materials and laying patterns of chicken had been reported elsewhere (Okoro et al 2016a(Okoro et al , 2016b(Okoro et al , 2017. (Okoro et al 2016a(Okoro et al , 2016b identified optimal supplementation levels of onion and garlic in feed of different indigenous breed of chicken using quadratic regression model, while (Okoro et al 2017) identified the optimal laying performance of Boschveld indigenous chicken using quadratic regression model. However, no study (ies) has reported on optimizing the effect of PKSA inclusion levels on growth performance, digesta pH, and digestive tract development of broiler chicks.…”

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