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Genotype X environment interaction in two breeds of chickens kept under two management systems in Southern Ethiopia

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Abstract

Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Fayoumi chickens were evaluated on-station in a college farm and on-farm in village farms, whereas local chickens were only tested under on-farm condition. Traits recorded are egg production and egg quality, body weight and feed efficiency at 4, 8 and 12 months of age. Significant age effect was found for most traits except for shell thickness, albumen height and egg length. Also, significant breed by management system interactions were found for all traits measured in both systems. Fayoumi chickens were higher in egg production in both management systems. Moreover, they were higher than RIR in feed efficiency. RIR were higher in most egg quality traits and had higher weight gain. Local chickens performed below the two exotic breeds in most of the traits, but had higher weight gain than Fayoumi. Chickens kept on-farm had poorer performance than those kept on-station in all traits except for yolk colour.

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Abbreviations

AAFE:

Age At First Egg

AEST:

Average Egg Shell Thickness

AEW:

Average Egg Weight

AFC:

Average Feed Consumption

AH:

Albumen Height

BW:

Body Weight

BWG:

Body Weight Gain

EL:

Egg Length

EM:

Egg Mass

EN:

Egg Number

ESI:

Egg Shape Index

EW:

Egg Width

FEEM:

Feed Efficiency for Egg Mass

HHEP:

Hen Housed Egg Production

HU:

Haugh Unit

YC:

Yolk Colour

YH:

Yolk Height

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Norwegian Development Organization (NORAD) and Operational Research supported by Irish government for their financial support to undertake this study. We would also like to thank the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Hawassa University (Ethiopia) for providing necessary facilities to undertake the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Arboretveien 6, P.O.Box 5003, N-1432, Ås, Norway

    Fassill Bekele, Hans Magnus Gjøen, Jessica Kathle & Tormod Ådnøy

  2. Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Hawassa University, College of Agriculture, P.O.Box 5, Awassa, Ethiopia

    Fassill Bekele & Girma Abebe

Authors
  1. Fassill Bekele
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  2. Hans Magnus Gjøen
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  3. Jessica Kathle
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  4. Tormod Ådnøy
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  5. Girma Abebe
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Correspondence to Fassill Bekele.

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Bekele, F., Gjøen, H.M., Kathle, J. et al. Genotype X environment interaction in two breeds of chickens kept under two management systems in Southern Ethiopia. Trop Anim Health Prod 41, 1101 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-008-9290-7

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