AI Insight
This study compared three commercial broiler chicken strains (Hubbard, Cobb 500, and Ross 308) raised in humid tropical conditions in Ghana, evaluating 300 chicks over six weeks. Despite initial weight differences, all three strains showed similar final body weight, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics. However, Ross 308 demonstrated lower mortality and better digestive organ development, suggesting superior adaptation to tropical environments, while Cobb 500 showed numerically higher growth rates according to Gompertz modeling.
Why it matters
These findings help poultry producers in tropical regions select appropriate broiler strains by demonstrating that production performance may be similar across commercial strains, but survivability and environmental adaptation differ. This information is particularly valuable for optimizing broiler production in humid tropical climates where heat stress and disease pressure can significantly impact profitability.
Understand the Science
by Dennis Owusu Acheampong, Kwaku Adomako, Bismark Kyei
This study evaluated the growth performance, carcass characteristics, economic efficiency, health status, and growth patterns of three commercial broiler strains (Hubbard, Cobb 500, and Ross 308) reared under humid tropical conditions in Ghana. A total of 300 day-old chicks were allocated to a completely randomized design with five replicate pens per strain and reared for six weeks under uniform management conditions. Performance traits, carcass and internal organ characteristics, mortality, and morbidity were assessed, and growth patterns were modeled using the Gompertz function. Although initial body weights differed among strains, no significant differences were observed in final body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, or feed cost per kg weight gain. Carcass characteristics were also comparable across strains. Cobb 500 exhibited numerically higher growth rate and asymptotic weight based on the Gompertz model, whereas Ross 308 showed slower growth but lower mortality and greater development of digestive organs, suggesting improved adaptability to tropical conditions. Overall, the findings indicate that while the three broiler strains demonstrate similar production performance under tropical conditions, differences in growth dynamics and survivability may influence strain suitability. These results highlight the importance of balancing growth efficiency with environmental adaptability when selecting broiler genotypes for humid tropical production systems.