Effects of Egg Weight on Chick and Organ Development, Growth and Slaughter Traits in Pekin Ducks

Year 2017, Volume: 11 Issue: 32, 87 - 92, 06.09.2017

Arda Sözcü , Aydın İpek

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effects of increased egg weight of pekin ducks on organ development, chick quality, growth traits, slaughter and carcass yield. A total of 405 one day old Pekin ducklings that have been hatched from light, medium and heavy hatching eggs, were used in the experiment. Egg weight were classified as “light” (<75 g), “medium” (76-82 g) and “heavy” (>83 g) by weighing with ±0.1 precision one by one. The chick hatching weight and leg length were found to be the highest in chicks hatched from heavy eggs, with values of 47.4 g and 227.8 mm compared to the chicks hatched from light and medium eggs (P<0.05). At 42 d of age, the body weight of ducks hatched from heavy eggs was 3195.0 g, compared to the ducks hatched from light and medium eggs (2879.6 and 2897.9 g, P=0.001). Any significant differences observed for feed conversion rate and mortality among the experimental groups (P>0.05). Slaughter weight, carcass weight were also the highest for ducks hatched from heavy eggs (P=0.004). In conclusion, increased egg weight affected chick hatching weight and growing performance in Pekin ducks.

Keywords

Pekin duck, Egg weight, Chick hatching weight, Growth traits, Slaughter characteristics

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