Two hundred day-old chicks of Lohmann Brown Broiler male (MPL) and female (FPL) parent lines were evaluated for production efficiency under the humid tropical environment. Chicks were reared on deep litter and fed chick breeder mash (0-8 weeks), grower mash (9-16 weeks), and broiler breeder mash (17-49 weeks). Water was supplied ad libitum. At point of lay, birds were floor-mated according to line in a ratio of 1 cock; 6 hens. Average body weights at 20 weeks were 2623.99 and 2189.35g for MPL and FPL, respectively. Female parent line chicken came into lay 4 days earlier than their MPL counterparts (142 vs 146 days). No statistical difference was observed in the total feed consumption per bird, with the values 8.89kg (MPL) and 8.62kg (FPL). There were no significant (P>0.05) differences between the two lines in percent hien-day egg production (PHD), fertility and hatchability of fertile eggs, values of which were respectively, 49, 12, 79.32 and 81.01 for the male line and 62.11, 80.89 and 82.28 for the female line during the last 26-49 weeks of age.
SOME PRODUCTION PARAMETERS OF LOHMANN BROWN BROILER PARENT LINES IN THE HUMID TROPICS
