International Journal of Animal Science, Husbandry and Livestock Production ISSN: 2141-5191, Vol. 7(3), pp. 389-397, March, 2021. © Advanced Scholars Journals

Full length Research paper

Analysis of fertility, embryonic death, hatchability of artificial incubator used and egg quality of indigenous chickens’ ecotypes in Gambella regional state Ethiopia

Getachew BF^1*, Aberra M², Wondmneh E³, Gebeyehu G¹andTadelle D³

¹Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Department of Animal Production, P O Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.

²Hawassa University, School of Animal and Range Sciences, P O Box 5, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

³International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

*Corresponding author: e-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 11^th March, 2021

Abstract 

The study was conducted to evaluate the egg fertility, embryonic death, hatchability, and egg quality traits of indigenous chickens artificially hatched under intensive management conditions in Gambella region Ethiopia. Eggs laid during one week up to 10 days were collected from households of the districts and transported to Gambella University for fertility, Embryonic death, hatchability and egg quality analysis.For fertility, embryonic death and hatchability atotal of 880 eggs (220 eggs from each districts) were incubated using the incubator at Gambella University for hatching purpose. Egg quality was investigated in terms of egg weight, egg length, egg width, albumen weight, yolk weight, shell thickness (from the narrow, middle and wide parts), shell weight, yolk color, Albumen height, yolk height, yolk width and Haugh Units Score (HU). The value of the egg fertility of the current study was 89.09 %, 85.45 %, 81.36 % and 78.18 % of Abobo, Gambella ketema Zuria, Itang and Lare ecotypes respectively.  The hatchability values of the on eggs set basis were 82.27 %, 76.82 %, 68.64 % and 67.27 %, of the Abobo, Gambella Ketema Zuria, Itang and Lare ecotypes, respectively. The mean value of egg weight and the shell thickness in the current findings was 39.15 g and 0.28 mm, respectively. The mean value of the albumen height and albumen weight of the current study was 4.17 mm and 20.53 g, respectively. There was no significant difference between ecotypes in terms of hatchability on fertile eggs and some amount different on the total egg set basis. 

Key words: Chicken, egg quality, fertility, hatchability, traits.