Browsing by Author "Ayorinde, K. L"

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    Frequency and influence of some major genes on body weight and body size parameters of Nigerian local chickens
    (Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2006) Fayeye, T. R.; Ayorinde, K. L; Ojo, V; Adesina, O. M
    Gene frequencies and influence of four major genes on body weight and body size parameters were studied in populations of adult local chickens in Nigeria. The major genes studied were Naked-neck (Na), frizzle (F), polydactyly (Po) and ptylopody (Fsh). Body size parameters measured were body length, body girth, wing length, keel length, shank length, shank diameter and toe length. The frequencies of the dominant genes carriers were between 0.02 and 0.03. The values were much lower than the expected mendelian value of 0.75 for dominant alleles. Polydactyl birds were significantly (P<0.05) superior in body girth and shank length compared with ptylopod and normal birds. Both polydactyl and ptylopod birds were superior to normal birds in all the measured traits, except for the shank length. Normal feathered birds were superior to Naked-neck and Frizzle birds in most of the metric traits. These superiorities were however not statistically significant (P>0.05). The genetic effects of sex on body weight and body size parameters were about the same except that the values for female were negative. The present work suggest that the potential of thermoregulatory Naked-neck and frizzle genes to improve body weight and body size may not be realized in Nigerian local chickens because of their small body size which confers them with a general adaptation. Management of birds in a controlled environment may help to further prove the superiority of polydactyl and ptylopod birds. It is important to stem the negative selection against the dominant alleles through village level extension service.