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Assessment of Growth and Laying Performance of Local Village Chicken in Malaysia

Julie Marzlinda M.R.¹*, Azlina Azma I.A.³, Nooraisyah S.², Mohd Hafizzudin A.¹, Abdul Mu'in H.B¹ Azrikin Shah A.¹, Muhammad Syafri Famin A.A. ¹, Muhammad Khairul Azwan M.¹, Syahirah M. Y. ¹, Nurul Akmal C.A.¹, Muhammad Nazri I.¹

¹Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Kluang, KM 15 Jalan Kluang-Kota Tinggi, 86000 Kluang, Johor.
²Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Muadzam Shah, KM 5 Jalan Rompin, 26700 Muadzam Shah, Pahang.
³Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Headquarters, Persiaran MARDI -UPM, 43400 Serdang, Selangor.

Malaysian J. Anim. Sci. 2024 27(1): 51-58

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Local village chickens are vital for household food security in Malaysia but typically show lower egg production compared to commercial breeds. This study evaluated the growth and laying performance of three pure-line village chicken breeds (Lines A, B, and D) at MARDI Kluang. Body weight and pin bone width were measured to assess growth performance and reproductive maturity, while Hen-Day Egg Production (HDEP) was used to evaluate laying performance. Findings showed no significant differences in body weight between all lines. However, Line A tended to be heavier than Lines B and D during the grower stage (10-16 weeks) and the layering stage (24-52 weeks). Pin bone measurements taken at 20 weeks indicated that Lines B and D had pin bone spacings of 4.08 � 0.19 cm and 4.17 � 0.16 cm, respectively, while Line A reached a similar spacing at 22 weeks. HDEP analysis showed that Lines B and D were more productive, achieving peak production earlier at the age of 22 and 23 weeks, with values were 74.92% and 69.74% respectively, as Line A peaked at 67.37% at 28 weeks. These findings indicate that Lines B and D are more efficient for early egg production and reach sexual maturity earlier. This provides valuable insights for selective breeding strategies to enhance productivity among village chickens.