Effect of Plumage Colour Genes on Body Measurements and Heat Tolerant Traits of Indigenous Chicken

This study was aimed to examine the effect of plumage colour genes on the body measurements and heat tolerant traits of indigenous chicken. A total of two hundred (200) adult chicken with different plumage colours comprising of black, white, red, brown and grey of both sexes reared by smallholder farmers with similar management system in Lafia, Nasarawa state, Nigeria were randomly sampled. Data were collected randomly at five (5) different locations in Lafia as thus: Kwandere, Shabu, Sabon Pegi, Tudun Gwandara and Tudun Amba respectively. Six body traits and four heat tolerant traits were measured on each bird: body length, breast circumference, thigh circumference, foot length, total leg length, wing length and Body temperature, Rectal temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate. There was significant difference (P<0.05) for thigh circumference. The highest values for thigh circumference was observed for the white and grey plumage coloured chicken although not significantly different for those of brown plumage coloured. No significant differences were observed for the body length, breast circumference, wing length, foot length and total leg length for all the plumage coloured chicken. There was significant difference (P<0.05) for respiratory rate and heat stress index. The highest respiratory rate and heat stress index was observed for the white plumage coloured chicken. The white plumage coloured chicken were thermally stressed due to their inability to absorbed and withstand heat. No significant differences were observed for the remaining four plumage colours. Higher values of thigh circumference are the characteristics of meatiness in chicken. The coloured plumage chicken (Black, red, brown and grey) from this study possess the ability to better survive and adapt to heat stress due to their tendencies to absorbed heat compared to their white plumage coloured counterpart.