Performance of local and local x improved chicken crosses under semi-intensive management system in Northern Uganda
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Date
2023-05-19
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cogent Food & Agriculture
Abstract
Despite the efforts to improve Uganda’s chicken production through crossbreeding, limited research has been conducted to establish the performance of local x improved chicken crosses under the dominant management systems used by chicken rearing households. The current study aimed to assess the performance of local x improved chicken crosses under semi-intensive management system in Pader and Agago districts of Northern Uganda, where crossing of local with imported Kuroiler chickens has been promoted over time. A cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire and observation was conducted in two purposively selected sub-counties per district among 246 respondents to establish the sociodemographic characteristics of chicken farmers and reasons for crossing. Using a Completely Randomised Block Design, an experiment was set up to compare the performance of local chickens and local x improved chicken (Kuroiler) crosses in terms of egg production and hatchability. All respondents practiced crossing with the aim of enhancing egg production in their chicken flocks. Under semi-intensive management system, hatchability of the eggs from crossbred chickens did not differ (P ≥ 0.05) from that of the eggs laid by the local chickens. In conclusion, although crossbred chickens exhibited hybrid vigour in terms of egg production under free range and semi-intensive systems, the hatchability of the eggs from crossbred chickens raised under semi-intensive system did not differ from that of eggs from local chickens. Future research should consider establishing the quality attributes of eggs of the local x improved chicken crosses in the dominant management systems among chicken keeping households in Uganda.
Description
Keywords
Kuroiler, crossbreeding, egg production, hatchability, local chicken
Citation
Samuel Ochora, Junior Senyonga Kasima, Wilfred Marion Okot & Elly Kurobuza Ndyomugyenyi (2023) Performance of local and local x improved chicken crosses under semi-intensive management system in Northern Uganda, Cogent Food & Agriculture, 9:1, 2213925, DOI: 10.1080/23311932.2023.2213925