Performances de productions de la poule locale kabyle

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential for meat and egg production

of the local Kabyle hen through a characterisation of its growth and egg-laying

performances. Growth performances have been carried out on 204 chicks over 17

weeks, from March to June 2011. At 16 weeks, the mortality rate was 9.31% and

the index of consumption was 6.78. The Gompertz equation adopted as the growth

model, led to the following relations. For males: y - 2409 × exp (-3.68 × exp (-0.0260

× t)) ; For females: y - 1835 × exp (-3.71 × exp (-0.0294 × t)) ;

Where y is the weight of the chicks in grams, and the their age in days. The egg-laying performance was observed in 38 hens over 52 weeks, from August 2011 to

August 2012. On average, egg-laying starts at 166 days of age and a weight of about

1334g. Hens lay on average 173 eggs per year, each weighing between 44 and 53g,

on average. The variation in the mean weight is related to the age of the hen. To the

light of these results, it seems that the Kabyle hen constitutes a promising local

breed both from the points of view of growth in body mass, and egg-laying. From

the collected data, it may be possible to develop a selection program to enhance its

meat and egg production potentials.