Study of Growth Performance and Carcass Quality of Different Broiler Breeds

Background and Objective: The poultry farming sector in Nepal faces challenges, particularly in breed selection, which can profoundly affect productivity and profitability. To address the problem research was conducted at Lamjung Campus located at Sundarbazar 07, Lamjung District during the winter season to study the growth performance and carcass quality of three commonly raised broiler breeds: Cobb-500, Lohmann Indian River (LIR) and Ross-308. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in a completely randomized design with three treatments replicated five times. The chicks were raised under identical management conditions with ad libtum water and feed under a deep litter system. The research evaluated feed intake, live body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. After 42 days of rearing three birds from each compartment were slaughtered to study the carcass characteristics including dressing percentage, breast meat yield, leg piece meat, wing meat and giblet yield. The benefit-cost (B:C) ratio was analyzed after 42 days of rearing. Results: Results demonstrated that Cobb-500 had the highest feed intake (4222.5 g), body weight (2788.2 g) and the most efficient FCR (1.51), along with the highest B:C ratio (1.80). Ross-308 followed with substantial feed intake (4158.8 g), body weight (2636 g) and intermediate FCR (1.57), resulting in a B:C ratio of 1.73. The LIR strain showed the lowest feed intake (3749.8 g), body weight (2310.2 g) and the least efficient FCR (1.62), resulting in a B:C ratio of 1.65. Meat yield analysis revealed that Cobb-500 had the highest dressing percentage (71.65%) and breast meat yield (43.02%), making it suitable for markets prioritizing breast meat. Ross-308 excelled in leg pieces (29.53%) and wing percentages (11.65%). The LIR despite its lower dressing percentage (68.58%), showed moderate performance across other metrics. The study underscores that Cobb-500 is the most advantageous for producers aiming for higher body weight, better feed efficiency and greater profitability while Ross-308 offers a viable alternative, especially for markets with specific demands for leg and wing meat. The LIR strain, despite lower feed costs, is less favorable due to low FCR. Conclusion: Findings of this research may be valuable for poultry farmers and stakeholders in Nepal, offering valuable guidance on breed selection to enhance the efficiency and economic contributions of the poultry industry in the country.