Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar-263145 (UA)
Rhode Island Red is a chicken breed of American origin which is popularly known as RIR and was developed for laying brown-shelled eggs. Today, most of the brown-shelled eggs are produced world over from various strains of RIR. This breed has also been very extensively used in cross breeding and improving non-descript local chicken germplasm. The birds of this breed and its crosses are kept by small holders in villages as dual purpose stock The data for the present study was taken from 776 pullets of 182 dams and 46 sires from 4 hatches of RIR strain maintained by a commercial poultry-breeding organization. The direct selection responses per generation for 20-WKBW, 40-WKBW, ASM, EP and 35-WKEW were found to be as 18.29 g, 95.94 g, 1.60 days, 1.23 eggs and 1.55 g, respectively. Indirect selection for early sexual maturity is likely to lower adult body weight, egg weight and increase egg production.
RIR, response, egg production, egg weight, body weights
