Table 3.
Effect of genetic background on the plumage condition of non-beak-trimmed pure line laying hens at different body parts.
| Age (Weeks) | Plumage Point * | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | Line 2 | Line 3 | Line 4 | |||||
| n | Mean ± SD | n | Mean ± SD | n | Mean ± SD | n | Mean ± SD | |
| Neck | ||||||||
| 20 | 30 | 3.00 a ± 0.32 | 30 | 3.91 b ± 0.32 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 |
| 46 | 27 | 2.64 a ± 0.75 | 28 | 3.18 b ± 0.88 | 30 | 4.00 c ± 0.00 | 26 | 3.86 c ± 0.47 |
| 62 | 21 | 1.65 a ± 0.93 | 26 | 2.90 b ± 0.88 | 29 | 3.20 b ± 0.45 | 15 | 3.45 b ± 0.69 |
| Back | ||||||||
| 20 | 30 | 3.57 a ± 0.73 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 |
| 46 | 27 | 3.41 a ± 1.00 | 28 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 26 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 |
| 62 | 21 | 2.75 a ± 0.85 | 26 | 3.80 b ± 0.63 | 29 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 15 | 3.82 b ± 0.60 |
| Tail | ||||||||
| 20 | 30 | 2.87 a ± 0.69 | 30 | 3.55 b ± 0.53 | 30 | 3.67 b ± 0.55 | 30 | 3.58 b ± 0.51 |
| 46 | 27 | 2.45 a ± 0.69 | 28 | 3.36 b ± 0.48 | 30 | 3.33 b ± 0.55 | 26 | 3.50 b ± 0.51 |
| 62 | 21 | 2.10 a ± 0.79 | 26 | 3.40 b ± 0.52 | 29 | 3.40 b ± 0.55 | 15 | 3.00 b ± 0.45 |
| Breast | ||||||||
| 20 | 30 | 3.91 ± 0.22 | 30 | 4.00 ± 0.00 | 30 | 4.00 ± 0.00 | 30 | 4.00 ± 0.00 |
| 46 | 27 | 3.91 ± 0.22 | 28 | 4.00 ± 0.00 | 30 | 4.00 ± 0.00 | 26 | 4.00 ± 0.00 |
| 62 | 21 | 4.00 ± 0.00 | 26 | 4.00 ± 0.00 | 29 | 4.00 ± 0.00 | 15 | 3.82 ± 0.60 |
| Wings | ||||||||
| 20 | 30 | 3.35 a ± 0.61 | 30 | 3.91 b ± 0.32 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 30 | 3.88 b ± 0.41 |
| 46 | 27 | 2.86 a ± 0.69 | 28 | 3.82 b ± 0.42 | 30 | 4.00 b ± 0.00 | 26 | 3.82 b ± 0.51 |
| 62 | 21 | 2.45 a ± 0.69 | 26 | 3.30 b ± 0.48 | 29 | 4.00 c ± 0.00 | 15 | 3.36 b ± 0.67 |
* Plumage point could be ranged from 1 (worst) to 4 (best). a,b,c Different letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p ≤ 0.05).