Poultry Studies									        			
									        				2023, Vol 20, Num, 1									        				      (Pages: 025-031) 
									        			
									        	
			
			
			
													
			        							
									        			
			
												
										    	
											        			 
											        						
											        								Relationships Between Morphological Characteristics of Roosters in Broiler Breeders at Different Age Periods 
											        						
											        			
											        			 
												        				
													        					Saliha SABAH 1 ,Bilgehan YILMAZ DİKMEN 1 												        			    
 
											        			
											        			 
											        					
											        					1 Bursa Uludağ University, Faculty of Agriculture, Animal Science Department, 16059 Bursa, Türkiye 
											        			
											        		
		
											        															        				
													        			DOI : 
													        				10.34233/jpr.1314476 
													        			
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											        				The aim of study was to determine the relationships between morphological characteristics of
roosters and fertility in broiler breeders at different age periods. A total of 48 roosters and 480
hens Ross 308 broiler breeder were used. The body weight, comb width and length, wattle
width and length, and tarsus length of roosters were measured for morphological
characteristics at 42, and 53 weeks of age. A total of 1500 eggs were incubated at 37.7 °C and
50-55% relative humidity for 18 d, then eggs were incubated at 36.6 °C and 60% relative
humidity for 3 d. The effect of age on comb length, comb index (P=0.002), wattle width
(P=0.008), wattle area (P=0.015) and tarsus length were found significant (P=0.000). There
were correlations between body weight and fertility at 53 weeks of age (r = 0.663; P<0.05).
There was no correlation between fertility and comb length, comb width, comb area, comb
index, wattle width, wattle area, wattle index, and tarsus length at 42 and 53 weeks of age
(P>0.05). In conclusion; some characteristics based on external appearance are used for male
selection in broiler breeders, but no relationship was found between investigated
morphological characteristics and fertility, except for body weight. 
											        			
											        			
		
											        			
											        			Keywords : 
											        				Morphological characteristics Fertility Age Broiler breeder