PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THREE STRAINS OF PIGEONS (COLUMBA LIVIA DOMESTICA) UNDER EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS.

: This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance of three strains of pigeons (the Local Egyptian pigeon, the Zagel pigeon, and the White Myrthes pigeon. A total number of 475 birds from the three strains were used to study live body weight at hatch, 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of age, and at sexual maturity, as well as growth rate between 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, and 0-4 weeks of age. The results of body weight showed that Zagel and White Myrthes pigeons are superior to Local Egyptian pigeon in hatch weight and body weight at 7 days old then White Myrthes became the heaviest in later ages, while Local Egyptian pigeons was the lightest in all ages. Growth rate recorded the highest values in the first week of age (162-163 g) then decreased gradually to reach the minimum rate between 21 to 28 days old. White Myrthes has significantly faster growth during the whole period of study from hatch to 4 weeks of age (TGR). Estimates of heritability for body weights and growth rate showed moderate heritability expect for growth rate in the third week of age. The estimates ranged from 0.21 to 0.28 and from 0.09 to 0.28, for body weight and growth rate, respectively. Phenotypic correlations among body weight traits and growth rate traits were mostly high and positive which ranged between 0.63 to 0.82 and 0.12 to 0.77, respectively. Genetic correlation between the same traits were positive and ranged between 0.70 to 0.96 for body weight and 0.20 to 0.88 for growth rate. From the current results, White Myrthes strain was superior in most of the studied traits which give the possibility to involve it in future genetic programs for improving pigeon growth traits.