Influencia de la relación macho:hembra de ponedoras Fayoumi sobre la fertilidad, eclosión de huevos y viabilidad de los polluelos

To examine the effect of male:female ratio on the fertility and hatchability of eggs and chicks livability in Fayoumi layers, three groups were managed where each of 8, 9 and 10 hens were offered 1 cock for mating. Study was carried out at the Poultry Experimental Station, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam during 2005. Average initial egg weight in group C (10 layers) was significantly (P<0.05) higher (29.33 g) as compared to group A (28.29) and group B (26.45g). Eggs in group C (1:10), had higher fertility rate (91.11%) as compared to group A (1:8) and B (1:9), where egg fertility percentage was 89.13 and 83.33%, respectively. The hatchability was remarkably higher (73.17 %) in group A (1:8) which followed a diminishing trend in group B (1:9) where hatchability was lowest (47.50%), while 60.98% hatchability was recorded in group C (1:10). Inverse trend was recorded for chicks livability rate of Fayoumi and in group A (1:8) chicks livability rate was highest (86.67%), followed by group B (1:9) and group C (1:10), where chicks livability rate was 84.21 and 80.00%, respectively. The trend of mortality suggested that increasing number of hens (1:10) produced relatively weaker chicks and thus highest mortality (20.00%) was recorded, followed by B (1:9) and A (1:8), where 15.79 and 13.33 percent mortality was recorded, respectively. It was further seen that increasing hen:cock ratio from 8:1 to 10:1 did not produce positive results, because egg hatchability and chicks livability rate was poor in group C, where 10 hens were offered one cock. Thus, for getting better egg hatchability and higher chicks livability rate, hen:cock ratio of 8:1in Fayoumi poultry breed would be more profitable.Para examinar el efecto de la relación macho:hembra sobre la fertilidad, eclosión de huevos y viabilidad de los polluelos en ponedoras Fayoumi, se manejaron tres grupos donde a cada 8, 9 y 10 gallinas se les ofreció un gallo para apareamiento. El experimento se llevó a cabo en la Poultry Experimental Station, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam durante el año 2005. El peso promedio inicial del huevo en el grupo C (10 ponedoras) fue significativamente (P