Proceedings of 16th Annual conference of Animal Science Association of Nigeria Kogi 2011

ASSESSMENT OF WEIGHT DEVELOPMENT AND BODY CONFIGURATION OF INDIGENOUS MUSCOVY DUCK

Ogah D M1.,N. D. Yusuf 1 and S. I. Daikwo 2
1 2

College of Agriculture pmb 33 Lafia, Nasarawa state, Nigeria1,2, Animal science department ,faculty of agriculture Kogi state university Anyigba

ABSTRACT
The objective the study was to evaluate performance traits using body weight, morphometric traits and some principal indexes at various ages that will aid in developing broiler type duck. 150 ducklings of both sexes were evaluated for increase body performance and configuration indexes between 3 to 20 weeks of age. Sex differences P<0.05 was evident from week 3 to 20 in favour of the male. Female duck attained peak performance in meatiness earlier than the male at 10 weeks and 15 weeks respectively. Body weight, body length and breast area were identify as major factor in meatiness determination in muscovy duck. It provided an insight to the development of weight and broiler type duck Key words: Weight development, muscovy duck, morphometric traits, indexes, growth

INTRODUCTION
Indigenous muscovy duck in Nigeria have remain largely unselected, it has a potential for provision of egg , meat and income to particularly the rural poor. Body weight is one of the most important selection traits both at sex differentiation and meat production (Leclerq 1990 and Baeza et al., 1999). In selection relationship between traits form the basis for prediction and improvement. Oblakova (2007) uses live weight development and some quantitative exterior traits to determine body conformation in accessing improvement and meat quality traits in selected turkey males. An attempt was carried out to characterise meat production traits using body weight at various ages, body measurements and some morphological indices such as massiveness, stockiness, long leggedness and condition index using ducklings from some selected sire and dam to investigate meat relate trait so as to develop broiler strains .

Proceedings of 16th Annual conference of Animal Science Association of Nigeria Kogi 2011

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

150 three weeks duckling made up of (63 males and 87 females) were evaluated using 8 morphological traits, body weight , body length , breast circumference, thigh length , shank length ,foot length , total leg length and wing length .four principal indices( massiveness, stockiness, long leggedness and condition index) were calculated at 3, 5, 10 15 and 20 weeks respectively using descriptive factor analysis. The ducklings were sex, wing band and reared
separately in a deep litter pens. They were fed on a grower marsh formulated at 20% CP and 2880kcal/.kg . They are allowed access to green vegetation through a walk way attached to each pen. Water was supplied ad libitum .

The principal indexes were calculated as outlined by Fox et al. (1992) and Oblakova (2007). Stockiness index= breast circumference Body length Massiveness index= live weight x100 Body length Long leggedness index= total leg length x100 Body length Condition index = live weight x100 Wing length x 100

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Sex influence(P<0.05) differences were observed in almost all traits from 3 to 20 weeks Table 1. with superior values recorded for male as reported earlier (Baeza et al 2001,Teguia et al 2007 and Ogah et al 2009).the values obtained from this study are lower compared to those in literatures, and the lower values has to do with the non selection and continuous inbreeding characteristics of tropical animal breeds. In both sexes body measurements that shows the most intensive increase at 15 weeks in male were breast circumference 95%, body length 92% and wing length 82% while in female breast circumference 85% and body length 76%..growth intensity was highest between 5 to 15 weeks of age, breast circumference form an important parameter for meatiness in muscovy duck. Table 2 . presents body configuration from evaluation of the body indexes, (stockiness, massiveness , condition index and long legged ness). The most important index for meatiness massiveness and stockiness were highest at between 10 to 15 weeks of age in both traits.

Proceedings of 16th Annual conference of Animal Science Association of Nigeria Kogi 2011

Massiveness was at peak for the male at 15 week of age 6484.49 and decreases with age while for the female week 10 4415 .33 and also decreases with age indicating that female can be selected earlier for meatiness than male. Body weight , body length and breast area have largely form the parameters for measuring the principal index as outline by Fox et al. (1992) and Oblakova (2007), making them an effective tools for developing selection index for improvement of a random population that have remain unselected like the indigenous muscovy duck in Nigeria. Conclusion. The present study will help one to make some principal conclusions about the growth and development of ducklings from indigenous stock on the basis of the live body weight and the exterior traits that intensive growth is mostly between 5 to 15 weeks of age and that increase in body part is regular with age ,with the meatiness indexes (stockiness and massiveness ) increases due to development of breast circumference and body weight which are the principal productive traits.

REFERENCES
Baeza E, Marche G and Wacrenier N. 1999. Effect of sex on muscular development of muscovy ducks. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 39:675-682. Fox A D.,King R and Watkin J. 1992.Seasonal variation in weight , body measurementand condition of free living Teal. Bird study 31:53-62. Leclercq, B., 1990. Croissance et composition corporelle du canard de Barbarie. In :Le Canard de Barbarie (Sauveur B. et de Carville H., Ed.). Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris : 2329
Oblakova M. 2007. Weight development and body configuration of turkey broiler parent Big 5.Trakia J Science 5(1)28-32 Ogah D. M , A. A .Alaga and Momoh O. M. 2009. Principal component factor analysis of the morphostructural traits of muscovy duck. Inter. J. Poult. Sc.8(11)1100-1103.

Teguia A, Ngondjou H. M., Defang H. and Tchoumbone J. ,2007. Studies of the live body weight and body characteristics of the African Muscovy duck. Trop. Animal Health and Prod. 40:5-10

Proceedings of 16th Annual conference of Animal Science Association of Nigeria Kogi 2011

Table 1. Mean performance of body weight and linear traits by sex Age(week) sex BWT BL BCC TL SL TLL WL 3 male 195.702,43 14.77 12.16 1.76 2.96 6.80 6.86 Female 154.521.93 12.30 12.53 1.50 2.10 5.40 5.60 5 male 464.90 3.72 17.90 16.23 2.80 4.10 9.80 7.40 Female 359.952.58 15.32 14.64 2.60 2.90 8.20 6.60 10 male 1308.7410.82 26.26 26.31 5.60 5.70 14.40 20.40 Female 1068.5187.31 24.20 24.10 2.70 4.10 10.00 18.60 15 male 2365.5332.74 36.48 32.56 7.90 6.50 18.60 32.30 Female 1276.0225.88 30.21 27.24 4.40 6.0 14.20 29.00 20 male 2681.3929.15 47.86 38.83 8.89 6.50 20.09 36.60 Female 1491.1623.70 38.35 31.28 6.56 6.20 16.76 32.40 BWT= body weight, BL=body length , BCC=breast circumference, TL=thigh length , SL= shank length , TLL= total leg length , WL=wing length .

Table 2 Body configuration of male and female muscovy duck by age. Trait sex Stockiness Male Female Massiveness Male Female Condition index Male Female Long legged ness Male Female Age (weeks) 3 5 10 82.33 90.67 100.19 100.24 95.56 99.58 1324.98 2592.57 4983.77 1256.26 2349.54 4415.33 28.53 62.71 64.15 27.59 54.53 57.44 46.03 54.74 54.83 43.90 53.52 41.32

15 89.25 90.17 6484.49 4223.83 73.24 44.00 50.98 47.00

20 81.13 81.56 5602.55 3888.29 73.12 46.02 41.98 43.70