Gross morphological comparison of the developing female reproductive system in Kadaknath and White Leghorn chickens during the pre-hatch period

Abstract

The study was conducted in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, to study and compare the gross anatomical characteristics of pre-hatch female chicks of Kadaknath and White Leghorn breeds. On the 12th day of incubation (Group I), in both Kadaknath and White Leghorn pre-hatch chicks, the presence of both right and left ovaries was observed. The mean length and thickness of the left ovary were greater in White Leghorn, whereas the mean width of the ovary was greater in Kadaknath across all groups. The mean length of the left oviduct was greater in Kadaknath than in White Leghorn; however, the mean width was greater in White Leghorn in all age groups. The mean ovarian weight in Kadaknath was 11.20 mg in Group I, which increased to 22.25 mg in Group IV. The mean length of the left oviduct was consistently greater in Kadaknath compared to White Leghorn across all groups. However, the mean width of the left oviduct was greater in White Leghorn than in Kadaknath in all groups.