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The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance

Dissertation (MSc Agric (Animal Production))--University of Pretoria, 2024.

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Other Authors: Nkukwana, Thobela T.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2025
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Nkukwana, Thobela T.
author_browse Nkukwana, Thobela T.
author_facet Nkukwana, Thobela T.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc Agric (Animal Production))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/101038
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:38:19.968Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/101038 The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance Nkukwana, Thobela T. vanderwesthuizenalida@gmail.com Van der Westhuizen, Alida UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Broiler breeder Broiler performance Egg weight influence Prime hen production Production parameters Dissertation (MSc Agric (Animal Production))--University of Pretoria, 2024. Over the years,’ broiler chickens have been selected and bred for rapid growth within a short period and in the most efficient and profitable way possible. There is an increasing demand for chicken meat from the world’s growing population. It remains a big challenge to provide enough chicken to meet this demand, but the poultry industry has improved some of its breeding, nutritional and management strategies in order to overcome supply-demand problems. One of the main focus points in the broiler industry is to produce meat in the most cost-effective way possible. Inconsistent egg quality in terms of egg size and egg weight from parent flock remains a big challenge that broiler producers face in the production of quality broiler chicks, and subsequently broiler meat. This mainly affects the zero-day body weights and thus final broiler performance parameters to slaughter. The aim of this project was to investigate the effect of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance. The eggs from 46 week old broiler breeder hens where collected and categorised into three different egg weight groups, thus having three treatments. Twenty-eight days before hatch, the 46 week old hens were identified, and separated from the rest of the hens. At 21 days before hatch, the different egg weight groups for these marked hens were separated into the three different groups and marked accordingly (Treatment A- Treatment C). As these marked eggs hatched, they were placed in marked crates according to the three treatments and transported to the farm where the growth trial took place. Over a 35-day growth period, different broiler performance parameters such as body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortalities, and performance efficiency factor (PEF) where measured. Overall, the chicks from the heavier egg weight group (65-68g) showed significantly better performance (BW, FI, FCR, and PEF) compared to the chicks from the lighter (58-61g) and average (62-64g) egg weight group. All weekly and cumulative mortalities was too low for complete analysis to be done. This study suggests that breeder hen flocks in prime production with heavier egg weights produce chicks with the best production performance such as BW, FI, FCR, and PEF. Astral Foods Animal and Wildlife Sciences MSc Agric (Animal Production) Unrestricted Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences SDG-15: Life on land 2025-02-19T09:40:01Z 2025-02-19T09:40:01Z 2025-04 2024-10 Dissertation * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/101038 10.25403/UPresearchdata.28435478 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Broiler breeder
Broiler performance
Egg weight influence
Prime hen production
Production parameters
The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance
title The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance
title_full The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance
title_fullStr The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance
title_full_unstemmed The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance
title_short The influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance
title_sort influence of broiler breeder egg weight at prime production on progeny performance
topic UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Broiler breeder
Broiler performance
Egg weight influence
Prime hen production
Production parameters
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/101038