Age dependent variation in oviduct and ovary of desi fowls from post-natal stage to adulthood

This experiment was to investigate the development pattern of oviduct in different breeds of Indian native Desi fowl from post natal stage to adult hood. One hundred and eighty [60 from each breed, i.e., Kadaknath (KN), Aseel peela (AP), and White leghorn (WLH)] day-old female chicks were randomly divided into nine groups each of 20 chicks (3 groups × 3 replicates). WLH was taken in this study to compare the characteristics of Indian native Desi fowl. Irrespective of the breed, a rapid increase (P<0.05) in the body weight was observed up to 18 wks of age. There after growth rate was slow. Overall within breed maximum body weight was recorded in AP followed by WLH and KN. Development of ovary and oviduct were noticed clearly around 18 wks of age in WLH. In case of KN, it was found around 24 wk of age. The development of female reproductive system of AP was observed around 28 weeks of age. At the peak of sexual maturity, around 30 wk of age, total length of the oviduct ranging from 66–73 cm was investigated in the different breeds of hen. From the result it may be concluded that reproductive system in WLH hen developed earlier (18 wks) followed by KN (24 wks) and AP (28 wks).