Aziz SR - Animal production Department, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Recourses, Sulaimani, Iraq
Shaker A - Animal production Department, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Recourses, Sulaimani, Iraq
Kirkuki SMS - Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Sulaimani University, Sulaimani, Iraq

481 fresh fertilized eggs of three Kurdish local chickens (Black with brown neck, White with shank feathering, and White with non-feathering shank) were collected at pre-molting (355 eggs) and post-molting (126 eggs) stages to evaluate external egg traits. A venine caliper was used to determine the length and breadth of eggs to calculate Shape index. Results indicated that egg weight increased in all genetic groups (P < 0.05) at post-molting stage compared with pre-molting stage. There was a significant difference in egg length between pre- and post-molting periods from the black chicken with brown neck and white chicken with shank feather, but not from the white chicken with non-feathering shank. Also, egg breadth was similar between pre- and post-molting periods from black with brown neck and white with shank feather, but was different from white with non-feathering shank. Shape index was also similar between pre- and post-molting periods for white with shank feather, but were significantly different (P < 0.05) for black with brown neck and white with non-feathering shank. The results of this study indicate that egg external traits improved during post-molting period than pre-molting, and variations between egg layers for external traits could be due to the genetic makeup.

Local chicken, Natural molting, Egg external trait