Physiological and pheneroptic variables and influence on egg characteristics in farmyard hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in communities of the Moyogalpa and Altagracia, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Abstract

In the present study, it was evaluated the behavior of physiological and phaneroptic variables of farmyard hens, and their influence on the characteristics of the egg and production, in rural communities of the municipalities of Altagracia and Moyogalpa, in Ometepe island. The study population comprised 49 laying hens, determining six variables: age, live weight (LW), Number of eggs (NH), Weight (PH), Transverse diameter (DTH) and Longitudinal diameter of the egg (DLH). in addition to the indices, morphological of the egg (IM) and laying (IP), together with two phaneroptic characteristics. Fluctuations were found in live weight, eggs / birds / week, egg weights, transverse, and longitudinal diameters, in addition to significant differences for all these variables between regions studied. Of the 28 correlations between the different biological-productive variables, 17 were positive and 11 negatives. The regression relationships between the analyzed variables varied in terms of their sign and significance. In the colors of the hens, those of uniform colors (CoU) reached 57% and those of mixed colors (CoM), 43 %. For egg color, the most representative were light brown (Mc) with 47 %, white (Bl) 22 %, and brown (M) with 14 %. These colors of eggs were laid mainly by the Red hens, belonging to the classification of uniform colors (CoU), However, in the birds of mixed colors (CoM), the Red hens (Co) contributed the highest number of light brown eggs. and black hens the largest amount of white and brown eggs. The correlations between the color of the birds and the variables number of eggs, egg weight and laying index were positive but weak and not significant. The color of the egg only showed positive correlations with the number of eggs and the laying index, variables related to the age of the hens.