REPRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF ‘NOVOGEN BRAUN’ CROSSBREED HENS

Abstract

Despite the challenging conditions of martial law, Ukraine’s poultry industry remains one of the most resilient sectors of the agricultural sector and is gradually restoring its production capacity, including enterprises engaged in the production of hatching eggs.
Poultry farms in Ukraine use chicken crosses imported from abroad for the production of chicken eggs. The reproductive potential of poultry is one of the key factors determining the successful development of the poultry industry, as it directly affects egg production volumes, flock renewal and the economic efficiency of farms.
The reproductive capacity of poultry is determined by a set of indicators characterising its potential for reproduction and the production of healthy offspring. The main evaluation criteria include egg production, egg fertilisation rate, chick hatching rate and chick survival rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the reproductive capacity of hens from the parent flock of various ages of the ‘Novogen Brown’ cross at ‘Slavyani’ Ltd.
The results of the study showed that the egg production rates of ‘Novogen Brown’ hens at ‘Slavyani’ Ltd were below the standard level. At the same time, over 420 days of life, 218 eggs were obtained per initial layer, and over 510 days – 282.2 eggs. Over 72 weeks of life (504 days), potential egg production, in accordance with the standards, should reach 298.6 eggs per initial layer. The egg fertilisation rate varied considerably – from 62.00±0.63 to 93.80±0.32 per cent – and depended on the age of the parent stock. Chick hatching rates also showed significant fluctuations: the highest rate was 88.86±0.42 per cent (hens aged 314 days), whilst the lowest was 62.00±0.63 per cent (hens aged 502 days). Chick survival during rearing over the first 10 days after hatching was independent of the age of the parent flock and ranged from 97.4 to 98.0 per cent.