Browsing by Author "Unni, A K K"

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Economics of meat production of desi ducks
(Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1978) George, O J; Unni, A K K
An experiment was designed to evaluate the meat production potentialities of straight run Desi ducklings. 110 desi one-day-old ducklings divided in to two equal groups which formed the replicates. Identical feed and managemental practices were employed in the trial. After an initial brooding of 3 weeks in a battery brooder, they were reared on floor upto ten weeks of age. Initial body weight, weekly body weight and weekly feed consumption were recorded. Five birds from each group were randomly sacrificed at 7, 8, 9 and 10 weeks of age. The results indicated that there is a steady decrease in body weight gains from 6th week onwards. Similarly the feed efficiency also decreased with advancement of age. Slaughter studies indicated significant increase in the proportion of the breast muscles with the advancement of age and a corresponding decrease in the proportion of legs. It is reasonable to surmise from the data on weight gains and feed consumption that the genetic potential of the Desi ducks has to improved in order to raise them for meat production economically.
Genetic effects influencing egger traits from diallel mating system
(Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1983) Rashbehari Singh, K; Unni, A K K
A 3 x 3 diallel cross was made using IWP, IWN and F strains of White Leghorn at the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Poultry for Eggs, Thrissur centre. Age at first egg in days, body weight at 20 and 40 weeks of age in grammes, egg number up to 280 days of age and egg weight (g) at 38 weeks of age were recorded for all the nine genetic groups. Strain F was found to be superior in performance among the purebreads in terms of the traits considered in the study. The over all merit of F strain, as sire line, was found to be good, yielding birds in cross combinations with low age at maturity, moderate body weight and egg weight satisfactory egg yield. IWP strain appeared to perform well as a dam line and crosses produced using IWP strain as a dam line were heavy in body weight and egg weight matured early and also produced quality good number of eggs. F strain when used as a female line might be more economical as they produced lighter hybrids capable of producing good number of eggs and maturing early. However, the impact on egg weight had to be critically assessed. Beneficial heterosis of significance was not generated up on crossing. However a positive heterosis was obtained when F and IWP strains were crossed but it did not reach a level of significance. IWN x IWP was also found to be a cross with good potential and as such both F x IWP and IWN x IWP crosses may exposed for extensive field testing while efforts to improve the production potential in these strains may be continued by appropriate intra-population selection method.
Genetic studies on serum alkaline phosphatase and haemoglobin in two strains of white leghorn
(Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1997) Sankaralingam, S; Unni, A K K
The present investigation was undertaken to identify the Serum Alkaline Phosphatase (SAP) and haemoglobin (Hb) polymorphism and also aimed to find their association with production, egg quality and reproduction. Four hundred and ninety seven hens of two different strains of White Leghorn Viz. IWP (168 and 100) and IWN (129 and 100) belonging to S15 and S16 generations, respectively were typed by Horizontal Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE). Two phenotypes, Fast and Slow were determined. Higher frequencies of Fast phenotype were observed in IWP strain (0.66 and 0.58) than IWN strain (0.15 and 0.24) in both S15 and S16 generations, respectively. Hundred hens each of IWP and IWN strains were tested for haemoglobin polymorphism with Agar gel electrophoresis, which revealed no polymorphism. Two alleles namely AkpF and Akps with two phenotypes Fast and Slow were identified as SAP locus. AkpF allele had the frequency of 0.42 and 0.35 in IWP strain and 0.08 and 0.13 in IWN strain of S15 and S16 generations, respectively. Different matings between Fast and Slow moving types revealed that the Fast band is determined by an autosomal completely dominant gene over Slow band bird. The mean SAP level for the F and S birds revealed that the SAP activity was more in F type birds (97.54 and 88.96 KA units per 100ml serum) than that of S type birds (93.03 and 68.24 KA units per 100ml serum) in both IWP and IWN strains respectively. The association between SAP types and egg quality traits revealed no significant difference between them except shell thickness. The eggs from F type birds had significantly higher shell thickness than S type in IWP and IWN strains of White Leghorn. Correlation between different SAP type matings and reproduction traits revealed that the fertility of F x F and F x S matings were highest followed by S x Sand S x F. The hatchability (on fertile egg set) was high in F x F followed by F x Sand S x F, the least hatchability was observed in S x S cross. The findings tend to conclude that the birds having gene AkpF perform better in respect of egg production, egg quality and reproduction traits. The egg production at the later stage of life was found to be high in F type birds and hence it is desirable to follow selection on extended testing periods than relying on 40 weeks egg records.
Selection studies in chicken for egg number on part records
(Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciencs, Mannuthy, 1986) Maheswar Rath; Unni, A K K
All India co-ordinated Research Project on Poultry Breeding for egg located at Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy , Trichur is maintaining two strains of white Leghorn which are subjected to selection for high egg production since 1978. The criterion of selection has been IDS method of index selection by combining the information on sire and dam family averages with the individual’s performances, for egg number up to 280 days of age. The present investigation was planned with the following objectives. -To evaluate the response of intrapopulation selection for part period egg production. -To estimate the genotypic and phenotypic parameters for different traits. -To evaluate the the correlated responses in unselected traits. -To measure the time trend in genetic parameters. -To measure the interstrain variation for some economic traits. To achieve these objectives data collected over a period of five generations, including base generation, on the experimental populations were utilized. Chicks hatched during 1979-80 hatching year of each strain constituted the foundation stock (S0). Thereafter both strains were subjected to four generations of selection. Standard managemental throughout experimental period. practices were followed uniformly The traits measured were egg number up to 280 day of age (EP), age at first egg in days (ASM), body weight in grammes at 20 and 40 weeks of age (20 wk-40 wk BW ) and egg weight (BW) in grammes at 30.40 weeks of age. The average effective number of male breeders, female breeders and progenies with complete records were 40, 238.4 and 1165.8 in IWN and 39.8, 232.2 and 1076.6 in IWP strains, respectively, over generations. The effective populations size over generations were 136.62 in IWN and 135.33 in IWP strains. The coefficient of inbreeding increased by two per cent in both populations over four generations of selections which would be the upper limit due to intentional avoidance of sib matings. Since hatch effects were significant for most of the traits, data were corrected for hatch effects before analysis by fitting least square constants. The heritability of each trait and correlations between traits were estimated initially intra generation-strain basis following variance and covariance component anaylsis and then pooled over generations within strain to provide mean estimates. The heritability estimates of various traits obtained in this study were consistent with several earlier reports. Sexlinked effects appeared to be important in the inheritance of EP 20 WK, BN, EW and ASM in IWP strain whereas maternal effects wee important for 40 WK, BN. But sex-linked effects for 40 weeks BN appeared to be important in IWN. The genetic and phenotypic correlations of the present study were close to several earlier reports both in direction and magnitude. The genetic parameter estimates did not show any significant time trends due to four generations of selection in both populations. The realized phenotypic response per generation obtained from regression of generation means on generation number were 8.30 + 1.60 eggs in IWN 5.37 + 1.6-0 eggs in IWP strains, which were significantly different from zero. The correlated response per generation for ASM, 20wk BN, 40 wk BN and BN due to selection for part period egg number were-4.26 d, 28.46 g, - 10.32 g, -0.28 in IWN and –4.45 d, 37.28 g, -13.80 g, -0.02 g in IWP strains, respectively. The realized gains in selected and unselected traits agreed well with the predicated response in direction but not in magnitude, except 40 wk in IWP which was in opposite direction. For all the traits the realized gains were found to be higher than the predicted gains except BN of IWP which was less than the predicated response. Difference were highly significant between the two strains for all the traits under study in the generation except S2 for BN : S0 for ASM, 20 wk BN: S3 for 40 wk BN : S0, S1 and S3 for BN.
Studies on certain economic traits in desi ducks
(Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Thrissur, 1977) Renchi P George; Unni, A K K
This thesis embodies the results of an investigation carried out to study the incubation, growth and processing characteristics of desi ducks (Anas platyrhyncos). Duck eggs procured from a local farmer were used in this study. Sound eggs were weighed and their shape indices were calculated based on the measurements of length and width of individual eggs. The eggs were grouped in to four shape index ranges and were incubated in chicken incubator. The hatch records were obtained. The dead in shells and dead germs were subjected to bacteriological and pathological studies. The ducklings hatched were reared on two systems of management viz., battery and litter floor upto seventh week of age when they were transferred to semi intensive system upto twelve weeks of age. Thirty randomly selected male ducklings were subjected to slaughter studies at twelve weeks age. The desi duck egg showed a mean weight of 68.86 g with a range of 55 to 85 g. The study reveals that the shape index has no influence on fertility, hatchability or weight of duckling at hatch. Egg weight was found to be significantly correlated with the hatch weight of ducklings. It was observed that the fertility of eggs was fairly good even with a male femal ratio of 1: 25. The incubation data suggested that duck eggs could be efficiently hatched in incubators meant for chicken with suitable measures to provide higher humidity. Weekly body weight, feed and water consumption data for desi ducklings are placed on records. The male ducklings recorded better body weights over the females during all ages confirming the normal sexual dimorphism. The special problems, encountered in the processing of desi ducks are discussed and data on yields and losses during dressing are presented.