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Multivariate analysis for body weight and some linear body measurements of Nigerian indigenous chickens
| Slovak Journal of Animal Science
The use of path analysis will not only produce a regression equation for prediction of body weight but also partition correlation between two traits into direct effects of one on other and indirect effects caused by other characters which may be of importance in selection. A total number of 2641 mature cocks comprising of 1782 Yoruba ecotype and 859 Fulani ecotype were sampled from markets in Osun state, southwest Nigeria. Live weight (LW) and eight morphometric characters were measured from these birds. The biometric traits were keel length (KL), chest circumference (CC), thigh length (TL), wing length (WL), body length (BL), drum stick (DS), breast length (BrL) and shank length (SL). T-test was used to check the significance of variation in biometric traits between the two ecotypes. Correlation analysis was used to check degree of association between these traits. Regression and path analysis was also explored. There were significant differences in keel length, thigh length, wing length, body length, breast length and shank length between the two genotypes. All traits considered in Yoruba ecotype but drum stick showed significant (p<0.05) positive correlation with body weight whereas in Fulani ecotype all characters but chest circumference showed a significant (p<0.05) correlation with body weight. Body length and breast length had significant (p<0.05) direct effect on the body weight in Yoruba ecotype whereas significant (p<0.05) path coefficients were obtained for chest circumference, wing length and breast length in Fulani ecotype. Body length and breast length had the highest direct effect on body weight in Yoruba and Fulani ecotype cocks respectively. The highest indirect effect was obtained for breast length through drum stick in Fulani ecotype, while in Yoruba ecotype the highest indirect effect was obtained for body length through chest circumference. Body length and breast length can be deduced as the most important morphometric traits in determining body weight of Yoruba and Fulani ecotype cocks respectively.
