Effect of climatic variables on production and reproduction traits of colored broiler breeder poultry

Abstract

Aim:The present study was conducted to investigate the important climatic variables affecting production and reproduction in a broiler breeder flock.Materials and Methods:The experiment was conducted for a period of 1 year on colored synthetic female line male and female poultry birds. 630 female progeny and 194 male progenies from 69 sires and 552 dams produced in four consecutive hatches at an interval of 10 days were used for the present study. Each of the seven, body weight and reproduction traits were regressed with nine environmental variables. Initially, the data were subjected to hatch effect and sire effect corrections through best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE) method and, then, multiple linear regressions of environmental variables on each trait were applied.Result:The overall regression was significant (p<0.01) in all traits except 20 week age body weight of females. The R2 value ranged from 0.12 to 0.90 for the traits. Regression coefficient values (b values) for maximum temperature and minimum temperature were significant (p<0.05) on 5th week age body weight of males. Similarly, evaporation and morning relative humidity (RH) was significant (p<0.05) for 5th week age body weight of females. Almost all b values were significant (p<0.05) for egg production up to 40 week age. The b values representing rainfall, morning RH, afternoon RH, sunshine hours, and rainy days were significant (p<0.05) on bodyweight at 20 week age. All environmental variables except maximum temperature and minimum temperature were significant (p<0.05) on body weight of females at 20 weeks of age. Age at sexual maturity was regressed significantly (p<0.05) with evaporation, afternoon RH whereas, egg shape index was regressed significantly (p<0.05) with a maximum temperature, evaporation and afternoon RH.Conclusion:The result indicated that various environmental variables play a significant role in production and reproduction of breeder broiler poultry. Controlling these variables in adverse weathers may increase production.

A retrospective study of Newcastle disease in Kenya

“…In fact, penning birds indoors during the cold weather may also explain our findings of high numbers of clinically sick and dead birds in the intensive and the caged systems during the long-rains and cold seasons. Sudden weather changes could influence viral transmission, and thus the timing and the intensity of disease outbreaks, which correlate with alternations of heavy rains, drought, elevated temperatures, and humidity (Martin 1992;Awan et al 1994;Nyaga et al 1985;Mukiibi 1992;Njagi et al 2010;Hines and Miller 2012;Nayak et al 2015).…”

Climate Change in Layer Poultry Farming: Impact of Heat Waves in Region of Bastos, Brazil

“…Several studies show that the egg production and behavior of layers affected by the thermal environment of the shed (Silva et al 2013;Castilho et al 2015;Nayak et al 2015;Pereira et al 2015). The upper limit of the thermoneutrality and thermal comfort zones of chickens (both broilers and layers) was established as below 30ºC (Freeman, 1988;Costa, 1994;Alves, 2006;Pereira & Nääs, 2008;Baeta & Souza, 2010).…”

Identifying sustainable and efficient broiler farms in the light of energy use efficiency and GHG emission reduction: data envelopment analysis approach

“…Chicken still remain the cheapest source of protein available for human consumption, but it cannot tolerate a wide range of climatic variations which affects its production and reproduction (Nayak et al, 2015). Menquesha (2011) reported the complementarily attribute of climate change and animal production to each other always, thus its effect on livestock and poultry production all over the globe is witnessed.…”