Genetic correlations between purebred and crossbred performance and purebred and crossbred heritabilities were estimated for egg production traits of laying chickens using a multivariate sire model accounting for additive relationships between sires. Two sire lines, denoted lines 1 and 2, were crossed to one dam line to produce crossbred progeny. Records for egg weight, egg specific gravity, an...

Background Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is known to protect boar sperm during freezing–thawing, but little information is known about the effects of LDL extracted from different avian egg yolks on post-thaw boar semen quality. The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the effects of LDL at various concentrations and different species on boar sperm quality after freezing–thawing. Ma...

Aim: In the present study, egg quality traits of endangered Nicobari fowl and its crosses (Nicorock and Nishibari) were evaluated under intensive (deep litter) as well as backyard system, in the regions of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Materials and Methods: Fresh eggs (15) of all the three genetic groups of birds were collected randomly from institute farm (intensive system) and from far...

Growth hormone (GH) has diverse functions in animals, together with other hormones from the somatotropic axis. Here, chicken GH (cGH) was investigated in recessive white chickens and Qingyuan partridge chickens as a candidate gene affecting egg production traits. Chicken egg production traits were studied in association with 4 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (T185G, G662A, T3094C, and ...

Predators not only consume prey but exert nonconsumptive effects in form of scaring, consequently disturbing feeding or reproduction. However, how alternative food sources and hunting mode interactively affect consumptive and nonconsumptive effects with implications for prey fitness have not been addressed, impending functional understanding of such tritrophic interactions. With a herbivorous b...

Appreciated for their versatile nutritive value and functional properties, eggs are considered as an important item in human diet. Eggs are one of the most common foods available worldwide as they play an important role in human diet by providing humans with protein, lipids, minerals and vitamins in an adequate amount. Chicken breeds differ in physical and biochemical contents in terms of eggs ...