Egg Traits, Fertility and Hatchability of Brahma, Cochin and Orpington Chicken Breeds

This study aimed at evaluating egg traits, fertility and hatchability of Brahma, Cochin and Orpington breeds. The hens were feeding ad libitum with commercial layer diet. A total of 300 eggs (100 eggs from each breed) were collected to study for egg weight, egg shape index, percentage of yolk, albumen and shell. Fertility and hatchability were assessed in 392 eggs from Brahma, 388 egg from Cochin and 416 eggs from Orpington. There was no significant difference (P<0.05) in egg weight and shape egg index. Orpington hens had significantly higher average egg number (138.41 egg) than Brahma (121.62 eggs) and Cochin (119.94 eggs) hens. Differences in percentage of yolk, albumen and shell in eggs of tested heavy breeds were statistically no significant (P>0.05). The average fertility was 59.81%, 57.36% and 58.81% for Brahma, Cochin and Orpington respectively. Average hatchability varied significantly at P<0.05 (80.08% in Brahma, 82.54% in Cochin and 89.86% in Orpington).