Second-Generation Crossbreeding of Native Wareng and Lurik Chickens for the Improvement of Egg Production Performance

Animal Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Science, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia

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Abstract

Native chickens are crucial to Indonesia's rural economy, providing income and protein, but their egg production is lower than commercial layers. This study aimed to evaluate the egg production performance of second-generation (F2) crossbreed between Wareng and Lurik native chickens. The experiment was conducted with four treatments: (1) Wareng chickens (W); (2) Lurik chickens (L); (3) crossbred chickens from Wareng males and Lurik females (WL); and (4) crossbred chickens from Lurik males and Wareng females (LW). Each treatment consisted of 10 chickens. The observed variables included hen_day_production (HDP), egg weight, egg length, egg width, egg index, and eggshell color. The study was carried out for 12 months (January-December). HDP data were averaged monthly, while the other variables were calculated by annually. The data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that purebred Wareng and Lurik native chickens had higher HDP compared with their crossbred counterparts, whereas the crossbreds produced heavier eggs. Heterosis was more evident in the first generation (F1), while the second generation (F2) exhibited genetic segregation that led to greater variation in egg production. These findings indicate that further selective breeding is required to optimize the genetic combination for improving the egg production performance of native chickens.