Effects of strains and certain nutritional factors on incidence of toe abnormalities, eyeball and body weights of chickens

Two hundred and eighty-eight cockerels of four egg laying strains were used to study the effects of strain and certain nutritional factors on the development of crooked toes, eye enlargement, and on body weight. The birds of each strain were divided into six treatment groups and received rations containing high and low levels of protein, high and low level of vitamins and high and low levels of potassium, magnesium, and low levels of sodium chloride. The chicks were reared in battery brooders and were subjected to continuous lighting. There were strain differences with respect to the incidence of crooked-toes; hwoever, the Chi-square test indicated that these differences were not statistically significant. Treatments did not show any significance. A positive relationship was found between body weight and the crooked-toe condition (the heavier birds showed more crooked-toes than did the lighter birds). Significant differences with respect to eyeball weight were found for strains, while all other effects were nonsignificant. Body weight was found to differ significantly between strains, while the treatments and the interaction between the treatments and strain in respect to this trait were not significant.