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The Influence of the Naked Neck Gene (Na) on Growth, Pterylosis, and Egg Production of Egg-Type Local-Exotic Crossbred Chickens
Abstract
The study was conducted to assess the influence of the naked neck gene on the growth, egg production, and pterylosis of egg-type chickens. Two hundred and forty (240) birds (120 males and
120 females with 60 birds per line and 30 from each phenotype) were used for the growth studies.
Three hundred (300) birds; 150 birds per line (brown and white) and 75 birds per phenotype
(normal feathered and naked neck) per line were used for the egg production studies. Forty birds
(36 weeks old) comprising 20 males and 20 females with 10 normal feathered birds and 10 naked
neck birds within each sex were sampled for the pterylosis study. Data collected included body
weight and rate of lay as well as the following data on pterylosis: capital, dorsal cervical, dorsal
ventrical, pectoral, sternal, abdominal, cloacal circlet, ventral caudal, upper marginal coverts of
prepatagium, dorsal caudal, dorsopelvic, interscapular, humeral, wing, lateral body, femoral and
cural. ANOVA was performed using Genstat 11.1E at p<0.05. Males grew faster (p<0.05) than
females. There was no difference (p>0.05) between the naked neck and normal feathered birds in
terms of weight gain and egg production. The white layer line laid more eggs (p<0.05) than their
brown layer counterparts. Naked neck birds recorded lower follicle numbers (P<0.05) than the
normal feathered birds at the capital, ventral cervical, pectoral, sternal, abdominal, femoral, interscapular, humeral, dorsopelvic, upper marginal coverts of prepatagium and crural tracts. The naked neck birds did not have any follicles in the lateral body, dorsal cervical, and cloacal circlet
tracts. In conclusion, white layers lay more eggs than brown eggs. Males generally recorded higher follicle numbers than females. The naked neck allele did not influence body weight and egg
production, but it reduced follicle numbers by 30.8% in males and 37.4% in females in its heterozygote state. This deviates from the 20-30% published many years ago.
