Study of reproductive and external egg quality traits of Vanaraja parents under deep litter management system in Chhattisgarh Plains

Abstract

The Vanaraja breeder flock was maintained in three separate experimental pens with 88 to 90 in each pen at 1:8 male to female mating ratio. The eggs were collected daily for four weeks at the age of 48th week, 49th week, 52nd week, and 55th week from each of the experimental pens. Total 450 eggs from the three pens (150 eggs from each pen) were selected randomly at the end of each week. And were set in the incubator for incubation to estimate the fertility%, hatchability on total egg set basis, and fertile egg set basis. The study revealed that the average value of fertility was 88.00%, 90.00%, 90.67%, 90.67% at 48, 49, 52, and 55 weeks of age observed, respectively. Hatchability % (T.E.S.) was 76.00 percent, 78.67 percent, 79.33 percent, and 80.00 percent at 48, 49, 52 and 55 weeks of age, respectively and Hatchability % (F.E.S.) were 86.36%, 87.41%, 87.50% and 88.24% at 48, 49, 52 and 55 weeks of age, respectively. The average mean of egg weight for 48, 49, 52 and 55 weeks of age observed 57.46±0.29, 57.17±0.31, 57.51±0.36 and 56.64±0.37 respectively and shape index were found 63.31±0.64, 60.06±0.28, 64.25±0.53 and 63.84±0.48 for 48, 49, 52 and 55 weeks of age respectively.