IMPACT OF ROYAL JELLY, GIBBERELLIC ACID AND TESTOSTERONE TREATMENTS ON SOME PRODUCTIVE, EGG QUALITY TRAITS AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY IN LOCAL CHICKEN STRAIN, DURING THE SUMMER SEASON OF EGYPT.

Abstract

A total number of 128 laying pullets and 16 cocks of Matrouh local strain at 140 days of age (20-24 weeks) were randomly divided into four treatment groups (32 females and 4 males / group) in completely randomized design. The injections were carried out once a week for a month (4 times injection) before sexual maturity from 20 to 24 weeks of age. The 1 st treatment group of pullets was injected with a saline solution 0.9% and was considered as a control group. The 2 nd group, was administrated into the mouth, with 0.2 ml of distill water, which containing 200 μg royal jelly (RJ) /kg BW. While, the 3 rd and 4 th groups were injected subcutaneously with 0.2 ml of saline solution 0.9%, which containing 200 μg/Kg BW of each of gibberellic acid (GA3) or testosterone (Ts), respectively. The obtained results revealed that the final body weight, daily feed consumption (DFC) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of Matrouh pullets treated with 200 μg Ts, or GA3, /kg BW, as well as egg production rate (EPR), egg mass (EM) and egg weight (EW) were improved significantly (P≤0.05) as compared with the control at the whole experimental period (24-48 weeks of age) compared to the control group. The lowest mortality rate (MR) 9.38 and 12.50% was significantly with Ts and RJ treated groups, respectively. While, the highest MR (%) was 18.75 and 15.63% recorded in GA3 and control groups, respectively in laying pullets, during the total period (24-48 weeks of age). Moreover, egg shape index and egg albumin index were significantly (P<0.05) increased for pullets injected