Abstract
A total of 514 birds were used to investigate the influence of body weight and shank length at hatch on the body weights at various ages in growing pheasant. Statistical model included the terms of hatch and sex as fixed effects and the two covariates of body weight and shank length at hatch. In this model, the effects of hatch and sex on the body weights at the age of 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 wk, and the average daily gains from hatch to 8 wk and from 8 to 16 wk of age were highly significant(P<0.01). All the regression coefficients of body weights and average daily gains on the body weight at hatch were also significant(P<0.01). Their estimates were 3.05.7.21. 13.89, 15.18 and 15.33 for the body weights at 4. 8, 12, 16 and 20 wk of age ; 0.111 and 0.142 for the average daily gains from hatch to 8 wk, and from 8 to 16 wk of age, respectively. On the shank length, only the regression coefficients of the body weights at 4 and 8 wk of age and the average daily gains from hatch to 8 wk of age were significant(P<0.01). Results of this study suggest that body weight at hatch do significantly affect the body weights in the growing periods up to' the 20 wk of age, but the shank length at hatch influences the body weights only at early age.1)
