EGG PRODUCTION AND QUALITY TRAITS OF SASSO-RIR, NORMAL FEATHERED LOCAL AND THEIR F1 CROSS CHICKENS MANAGED UNDER ON-STATION CONDITION IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

<p><strong>Background. </strong>Poultry production is a tool for livelihood improvement and poverty alleviation in the developing countries. Indigenous chickens are numerous but lower egg performance than exotic Ethiopia. <strong>Objective</strong>. To compare yield, feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality, quality traits of Normal feathered local (LL), Sasso-RIR (SRSR) their F1-cross (LSR) under on-station conditions. <strong>Methodology</strong>. Data on production, intake mortality were collected 33 weeks whereas was assessed at 6, 9 12 months age poultry farm Hawassa University. The experiment laid out with Completely Randomized Design four replications. <strong>Results.</strong> Next to SRSR chickens, LSR performed higher LL terms number per hen (96.8), weight (46.9 g/egg), daily (102 g/hen), body (1882 albumen height (5.97 mm), (27.2 g/egg) (56.8). FCR best, intermediate worst (4.19), (4.57), (5.20) respectively. Higher (52.9 g), yolk (18.3 (28.9 (35.1) obtained from eggs older hens (59.4) shell (11.0) younger hens. For lowest values weight, length, color, ages value ages. <strong>Implications. </strong>The results present study contribute knowing effects cross-breeding chicken yield quality. <strong>Conclusions. blood had played significant role upgrading most economically important traits. However, influence genotype some depends laying hen.</p><p>.</p>