Growth and Carcass Traits Comparison of Different Chicken Strains Under On-Station Conditions

Background and Objective: Genetic improvement in poultry can be achieved through selection or crossbreeding. Understanding the factors that affect growth and carcass characteristics is crucial for poultry enterprises. The study aimed to investigate and compare the effect of genotype and sex on growth and carcass characteristics of Cosmopolitan (C), Improved Horro (H), ♂Improved Horro*Cosmopolitan♀ (HC), ♂Cosmopolitan*Improved Horro♀ (CH), Indigenous (L) and Koekoek (KK) genotypes under on station condition at Werer Agricultural Research Center in Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: A completely randomized design was used. A total of 720 and 114 chickens were used for the growth and carcass, respectively. Data on body weight, body weight change, weight gain feed intake, feed conversion ratio and characteristics were collected and derived. The data collected was summarized and analyzed by GLM model using SAS software. Results: Koekoek (KK) chickens had the highest body weight, weight gain and feed intake, with the lowest feed conversion ratio, while Indigenous chickens (L) had the lowest values. Males exhibited better growth metrics but poorer feed efficiency and mortality compared to females. Slaughter, dressed and eviscerated weights, as well as individual carcass parts, were highest in KK and lowest in L, with males outperforming females. Overall, genotype and sex significantly impact growth and carcass traits. Conclusion: Growth and carcass characteristics are affected by genotypes, sexes and their interactions.