EFFECT OF QUALITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS ON ECOMETRIC TRAITS OF NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKENS REARED EXTENSIVELY IN MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE

This research was conducted in Borno State to assess the influence of qualitative characteristics on the quantitative traits in six hundred (600) adult indigenous chickens randomly sourced from central and southern parts of the state. Nine (9) quantitative (body weight, ornithological measurement, wing span, neck length, back length, keel length, tail length, thigh length and shank length); and six (6) qualitative traits (shank colour, plumage colour, comb type, earlobe colour, eye colour and crestedness) were measured. Data were analyzed using General Linear Model of SPSS, version 20. Chickens with green shank had best keel length (11.93 cm) while those of black shank demonstrated longest tail (22.01 cm). ‘White with Black Strips’ and brown plumage chickens had longest keel. Rose combed had longest thigh (13.29 cm) and shank (9.22 cm). Best ornithological measurements (68.67, 23.33cm) and wing span (72.33 cm) were attributed to blue white earlobe chickens. Pearl eyed chickens had widest wing (67.16 cm). Crestless chickens performed better for all the traits except tail length. The results suggest the potentiality of the chickens for improvement and could be prerequisites to their selection for improvement. Keyword: Influence, qualitative, quantitative, characters, indigenous chickens