ABSTRACT

A total of 159 crossbred local chicken generated from main and reciprocal crosses of local chicken consisting of normal feathers, naked neck and frizzle chicken with an exotic layer strain, were used to determine the growth performance and linear body parameters. Data on body weight on all genotypes based on sex were taken, also linear body measurements such as Body weight, body depth, body length, breast width, wing length, shank length were used to assess the body growth of these progenies. The data were subjected to 3 x 2 factorial design in completely randomized design. Linear body parameters of main and reciprocal crosses showed significant difference (p<O.05) were observed to be higher in naked neck (1128.57), normal neck (1158.41) and mordantly significant difference in frizzled. On effect of sex, BWT for male (127.71), and female (943.19), BL (32.39) for male and female (29.71), WL (19.68) for male and female (16.48), SL (9.32) for male and female (7.79), which shows that males developed better than the females in body weight and linear body measurement in each genetic group. The effect of interactions of breeds and sex amongst the three genotypes revealed that body weight and body length of male normal feather (1372.57 and (36.03) respectively were significantly higher than the remaining breeds interacting with individual sex. The initial body weight shows that frizzle birds were significantly (p<O.05) higher (35.51) than naked neck and normal feather. It was revealed that naked neck genotype performed better than the other genotypes based on the body weight while based on sex, the male perform better than female both in linear parameters and body weight. Evidence of increased values of body weights and other linear body measurement for males indicates sexual dimorphism in favour of males within the genetic groups. This can be attributed to differences in hormonal profile, aggressiveness and dominance of males over funds especially when both are reared together.