Influence of Breed and Sex on Body Weight and Conformation Traits of Turkeys

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of breed and sex on body weight and conformation traits in two turkey breeds: Nigerian Indigenous Turkey (NIT) and Hybrid Commercial Turkey (HCT). Sixty-four poults were randomly assigned to two treatment groups based on breed, with each breed further replicated four times, comprising eight birds per replicate. The birds were reared in deep litter pens for 18 weeks. Conformation traits assessed included body length (BL), breast girth (BG), shank length (SL), thigh length (TL), wing span (WS), wing length (WL), and neck length (NL). Data collected on body weight and conformation traits were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) package. Results revealed significant (p< 0.05) differences in body weight between the two breeds, Conformation traits also showed significantly higher values in HCT compared to NIT. Sex had a significant effect (p< 0.05) on body weight and conformation traits in both turkey breeds, with male turkeys exhibiting significantly higher values than females. Additionally, there were significant (p< 0.05) interactions between breed and sex. It was concluded that variations exist in body weight and conformation traits between the two turkey breeds, suggesting potential for crossbreeding with improved breeds to enhance the performance of Nigerian Indigenous Turkey.