Egg Production Performance of the Local Kabyle Hen and its Crossbreeds with ISA-Brown Strain in Semi-Intensive Conditions

Compared to the Kabyle (the local breed in Algeria), a line crossed with an ISA-Brown had better egg production and egg quality, according to new research. The scientists warned that, for the crossbreeding to be sustainable, a plan to conserve the native gene pool will be needed.

20 May 2013

3 minute read

By: Jackie Linden

A cross between the ISA-Brown industrial strain and an Algerian local (Kabyle) breed was compared with the Algerian local (Kabyle) hen, according to Nassim Moula at the University of Liege in Belgium and co-authors there and at the University of Thiès in Senegal and the University of Essex in the UK.

In their paper published in International Journal of Poultry Science, they explain that the comparison during the egg production period was done in individual cages, in a ventilated hen-house without any particular isolation. The same commercial diet has been provided over three time periods (35 to 36 weeks, 50 to 51 weeks and 65 to 66 weeks of age).

Egg number and body weight at first egg was significantly lower in the Kabyle local breed. Mortality was almost equal during the breeding period and the egg production periods for the two genotypes.

The Kabyle hen eggs, in spite of its lower weight (43.70 to 53.37g according to the age), gave yolk to albumen ratio similar to the ISA×KAB cross (0.52 to 0.58 according to age). Finally, the ISA×KAB cross was better in terms of egg production and egg quality than the local hen under the test conditions, concluded Moula and co-authors.

Reference

^{Moula N., M.T. Diaw, A. Salhi, F. Farnir, N. Antoine-Moussiaux and P. Leroy. 2013. Egg production performance of the local Kabyle hen and its crossbreeds with ISA-Brown strain in semi-intensive conditions. Int. J. Poult. Sci., 12(3):148-152.}