Genetic Comparisons of Body Weight, Average Daily Gain, and Breast Circumference between Slow-Growing Thai Native Chickens (Pradu Hang dum) Raised On-Site Farm and On-Station

Abstract

To ensure that any new technology developed within an experimental station is appropriate to the community’s needs and compatible with the existing systems, on-site farm research is an important component in examining the effectiveness of agricultural research. The present study examined the growth performance and genetics of Thai native chickens under conditions typically experienced by farmers on smallholder farms (on-site farms) compared with at an experimental unit (on-station). There were 1694 Thai native chickens (Pradu Hang dum) used in this experiment, and they were divided into 613 chickens for the on-station and 1081 chickens for the on-site farm experiments. The individual chicken data included the birth weight (BW0) and body weight at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age (BW4, BW8, BW12, and BW16, respectively), ADG from 0–4, 4–8, 8–12, 12–16 weeks of age (ADG0–4, ADG4–8, ADG8–12, ADG12–16, respectively), and breast circumference at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age (BrC8, BrC12, BrC16, respectively). A multiple traits animal model and a selection index were used to estimate the variance components, genetic parameters, and breeding values of growth traits. The results showed that the body weight, average daily gain, and breast circumference at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age of Thai native chickens raised on-station were higher than those raised on-site at the farm among mixed-sex and sex-segregated chickens, while the birth weight and body weight at four weeks of age (BW0 and BW4) and ADG from 0–4 weeks of age (ADG0–4) were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The heritability estimates of body weight, average daily gain, and breast circumference in the chickens raised at the on-site farm and on-station were moderate to high, with on-station values slightly higher than on-site farm values. The heritability estimates of body weight were 0.236 to 0.499 for the on-site farm, and 0.291 to 0.499 for on-station. For average daily gain, the heritability estimates were 0.274 to 0.283 for the on-site farm and 0.298 to 0.313 for on-station; meanwhile, and for breast circumference, the heritability estimates were 0.204 to 0.268 for the on-site farm and 0.278 to 0.296 for on-station. Both phenotypic and genetic correlations among and between growth traits were positive and ranged from low to high values. The top 20% of the estimated breeding values and selection indices in the on-site farm and on-station experiments showed that the body weight at eight weeks of age (BW8), ADG from 4–8 weeks of age (ADG4–8), and breast circumference at eight weeks of age (BrC8) should be used as selection criteria for Thai native chicken breeding programs. In conclusion, the genetic parameters and breeding values in on-station experiments showed that the breeding program by selection index for improving growth performance is valid. Therefore, to implement such a breeding program in an on-site farm, an intensive or semi-intensive farm system should be considered to minimize the effect of genotype-environment interaction.

Comparative study and relationship analysis between purine content, uric acid, superoxide dismutase, and growth traits in purebred and crossbred Thai native chickens

“…Raising crossbred native chickens like those in the 25%TN group will increase the production cycles per year by two times the rearing time of purebred native chickens. However, even though the chickens in the 100%TN (Pure Thai native chicken) group had an average body weight, average daily gain, and breast circumference that were the lowest, their BW8 was better than other Thai native chicken breeds, such as Lueng Hang Kao Kabinburi ( 49 ) at 642.08 g at 8 weeks of age, and Pradu Hang dum ( 1 ) at 808.01 g at 8 weeks of age. Importantly, this study demonstrates that the genetic improvement of growth traits is more accurate and better than those studied in other Thai native chicken breeds.…”

“…Growth characteristics are one of the most economically important traits and have been continuously improved genetically in both commercial strains and native chickens ( 1–3 ) to produce more food for the world’s population, which is growing steadily ( 4 , 5 ). While fast-growing chickens allow farmers to speed up production cycles, the other effect is an increase in undesirable bioactive compounds in the meat, especially increased accumulation of purine content and uric acid levels in meat and organs ( 6 , 7 ).…”

Influence of Semen Collection Frequency and Seasonal Variations on Fresh and Frozen Semen Quality in Thai Native Roosters

“…Additionally, the artificial insemination (AI) procedure has become more familiar to Thai farmers. However, a study showed that rooster fertility on the farm under field conditions was lower than that under experimental conditions [6]. One important concern is that local farmers have no practical method for mating management.…”

Fertility and Insemination Characteristics of Sperm Storage Tubules in Old Thai-Native Hens

“…Traditionally, one breed of Thai native chickens, Pradu Hang Dum (PD; Figure 1 ), is raised in backyard farms in rural households, mainly for home consumption [ 1 ]. Distinct features of its meat, in terms of nutrients (higher protein and nutritional components, lower fat), textures, and flavor, make it superior to commercial broiler meat and now widely consumed [ 2 , 3 ]. Consequently, semicommercial-scale production of this breed is gradually increasing to meet the extensive demands for poultry.…”