Development of dual-purpose cross for meat and egg production I. Growth performance and carcass composition of the crossbred chickens in comparison to the parent lines

Abstract

The aim of the study was to develop a dual-purpose cross suitable for rearing in alternative systems and to examine its growth performance and carcass composition in comparison to the parent lines. The experiment was carried out in the experimental poultry farm in the Institute of Animal Science - Kostinbrod. The cross was developed using females of a layer type line L and cocks from line BB. The latter was based on Bresse Gauloise that is also dual purpose but mainly used for meat. The chickens from the lines and the cross were reared in mixed-sex groups on deep litter, at stocking density of 25 birds/m2, and fed with standard broiler feed until the age of 9 weeks. Then the males were separated and sent to slaughter while the females were left for layers. Crossing hens from layer type line L with BB cocks resulted in dual-purpose chickens with a live weight and feed efficiency that were better in comparison to L line, but lower when compared to the BB line. These parameters were however, lower than the typically observed in this type of poultry. Nevertheless, the chickens displayed good carcass composition and deposited low content of abdominal fat, thus revealing good potential to be successfully realized in market.

A comparative analysis of cooked smoked cockerel products derived from male layer-type chickens (Lohmann Brown Classic hybrid) and dual-purpose cocks (based on Bresse Gauloise)

“…Typically, these birds are culled immediately after hatching due to poor performance. This long-standing practice has faced extensive criticism, leading the European Union to ban the culling of male chickens [4]. France and Germany are the first countries to implement this ban, starting in 2022.…”

“…Stock lines that, in conjunction with layers, could meet emerging market demands. Petkov et al [4] reported the importation of French indigenous breed Bresse Gauloise birds to the Institute of Animal Science -Kostinbrod a few years ago. This import aimed to establish a new line, BB, which is currently part of the country's gene pool.…”

“…This import aimed to establish a new line, BB, which is currently part of the country's gene pool. The researchers are * Corresponding author: nkolevphd@gmail.com focused on developing a dual-purpose crossbreed based on the Bresse Gauloise breed, where females are bred for egg production and males for meat [1,[4][5][6].…”

“…Additionally, Soisontes [9] reveals that male laying chickens are widely utilized in Thailand for meat production, with only a small proportion being processed into animal feed. Considering the energy resources expended for hatching and the criticisms surrounding culling, it can be concluded that the killing of male layer-type chickens is highly wasteful [4,10]. Therefore, their utilization through standard meat processing or alternative approaches is necessary.…”

“…Finally, it is important to note that all the aforementioned statements have a strong correlation with the breed, age, and diet of the cockerels [1,[4][5][6][7][8]16].…”