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Gryzińska M. , Batkowska J. , Al-Shammari K. , Ambrożkiewicz J. , Jeżewska-Witkowska G. 2015. HATCHABILITY OF SELECTED BREEDS OF HENS MAINTAINED AS POLISH CONSERVATION FLOCKS, EJPAU 18(2), #04.
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume18/issue2/abs-04.html

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to evaluate the hatching results of selected Polish
conservation chicken breeds: Rhode Island Red (RIR), Sussex (Sx), Greenleg Partridge
(GP) and Polbar (Pb) during four consecutive hatching seasons. A total of 41
487 of eggs were collected from 34-week-old hens. Standard incubation conditions
were maintained. The fertility, hatchability, periodical embryonic mortality
and number of crippled chicks were also calculated.

     The highest ratio of fertile eggs was observed in Pb (≈89%), followed by
RIR (≈85%) and Sx (≈81%), while the smallest ratio was noted for
GP. The percentage of chicks hatched out of the total number of the set eggs
was highest in Pb (almost 90%). In all groups the fewest embryos died up to the
6th day of incubation, and the most in the hatching period (days 18–21).
This proportion was considerably higher in RIR. The most embryos died in Sx eggs,
while the GP eggs had the highest livability, followed by Pb and RIR. Despite
a relatively high hatchability of eggs (fertile and set), the eggs from RIR hens
were characterized by the highest number of crippled chicks (5.66%), compared
to GP (1.31%), Sx (1.88%) or Pb (1.99%). The hatchability characteristics of
hen breeds kept in Poland as conservation flocks differed significantly between
breeds. However, apart from a few isolated cases, they were not influenced by
the hatching season. This indicates the stability of reproductive traits, as
well as a genetic potential of these birds, and allows Polish genetic resources
being considered as an important pool of genes contributing to the global biodiversity.

Key words: hatchability, breeds, Polish conservation flocks.

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Magdalena Gryzińska
Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
13 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland

Justyna Batkowska
Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
13 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
email: justyna.batkowska@up.lublin.pl

K.I.A. Al-Shammari
Department of Animal Production Techniques, Al-Musaib Technical College, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Babylon, Iraq


Jacek Ambrożkiewicz
Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
13 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland

Grażyna Jeżewska-Witkowska
Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
13 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland

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Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed 'Discussions' and hyperlinked to the article.

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