Comparison of the exterior profile of the Russian White and Tsarskoye Selo chicken breeds

Today, poultry farming is a highly efficient branch of animal husbandry, and the domestic chicken ( Gallus gallus ) is the most common type of farm animals. Significant changes in the exterior of chickens reflect the acquired biological characteristics of the bird and are closely related to the formed direction of productivity. The article is devoted to the comparison of the exterior profiles of two domestic chicken breeds of different productivity directions: Russian White (egg), Tsarskoye Selo (meat and egg). Exterior assessment occupies an important place in the grading of breeding poultry. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the body structure of Tsarskoye Selo chickens meets the requirements of a heavy bird with good meat qualities. In comparison with Tsarskoye Selo chickens, Russian White chickens have a more developed abdominal part, in which the egg-forming organs are located. This is confirmed by a significantly smaller difference in the pelvic width (only 0.81 cm). In addition, the Russian White breed of chickens had a high index of legginess — 53.5, compared to the index value of 21.1 for the Tsarskoye Selo breed. The index of latitudinal proportionality for the Tsarskoye Selo breed of chickens is 2 times higher (94.0), which also indicates its productivity direction (meat and egg). Detailing and specifying breeds according to exterior indicators helps in approving new breeding forms of the State Commission of the Ministry of Agriculture.