Effects of Age, Sex, Feather Colour, Body Measurements, and Body Weight on Down and Feather Yield in Native Turkish Geese

Authors: MUSTAFA SAATCI

Abstract: The aim of this study was to calculate the feather and down production by native Turkish geese and to investigate the effects on these traits. In total 145 native Turkish geese were used in the experiment. The birds were divided into 4 groups according to their feather colour at 10 and 12 weeks of ages. They were individually weighed and measured with the help of wing tags. Geese at 10 weeks had heavier feathers than those at 12 weeks, while geese at 12 weeks produced more down (P < 0.01). As detected in down weight, the older group has a greater amount of total feathers than the younger group (P < 0.001). Male geese produced significantly heavier feathers and down than females (P < 0.05). While black geese produced the heaviest feathers, yellow geese produced the heaviest down (P < 0.05). White geese generated the lightest weights of the products. The strongest correlation was found between total feather yield and chest girth (0.75). Reasonable correlations were detected between liveweight and other traits (0.36-0.62). This is not a widely studied subject in Turkey; therefore, the data obtained can be used for the identification of native Turkish geese.

Keywords: Geese, body measurements, feather

Full Text: PDF