Evaluation of growth and carcass characteristics of ISA brown cockerels as influenced by age at surgical caponization

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the effects of age at surgical caponization on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of ISA Brown cockerels. A total of 108 birds were used for the study and allotted to four treatments of 27 birds each, replicated three times to give 9 birds per replicate. The cockerels were surgically altered at 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age. Birds had access to formulated starter, grower and finisher diets ad libitum during a twenty one week experimental period. The results revealed that final weight and weight gain in the capons were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in uncaponized birds. Birds caponized at 8 weeks recorded the highest in final weight (3.35 kg/bird) and weight gain (2.98 kg/bird), as against the least obtained from the control with 2.53 kg/bird and 2.17 kg/bird respectively. Significant differences were also observed in feed conversion ratio and mortality. Birds caponized at 8 weeks had better feed conversion ratio of 3.98, as against the least (5.65) obtained from the control. The control group of intact roosters also had the least dressed weight percentage (74.25%), while the birds caponized on the 8 week had the highest percentage (81.67%). Caponization similarly improved relative weights of some cut parts and increased the deposition of abdominal fat. It is concluded that surgical caponization with particular reference to that undertaken when the birds were 8 weeks old, significantly improved growth performance and carcass characteristics of ISA Brown cockerels.