Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the live weight, carcass weight, blood characterization and the effects of feather colours and sex on these traits of three native geese in Kurdistan/Iraq. A total of 36 geese of the three feather colours (12 geese for each) which were 10-11 months of age were used.
Results revealed that mean live weight, warm, cold carcass weights and cold dressing percentage were 2950, 2206, 2180 g and 73.87% respectively. The overall means of Hemoglobin (HB), Packed cell volume (PCV), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Heterophil (H), Lymphocyte (L), Monocyte (M), Eosinophil(E), Basophile (B) and H/L ratio were 15.41gm/100cm³, 46.27%, 1.89 ml/h, 40.56%, 55.44%, 1.78%, 1.72%, 0.5% and 0.73 respectively. Significant differences were found among Gray, White and Piebald geese strains in live weight, carcasses components and blood traits. Live weight (3091.66 g), cold carcass weight (2248.00 g), legs (514.166 g), wings (385.83 g), neck (386.67 g) and heart (27.5 g) weight were highest in White geese while higher cold dressing percentage (75.40 %), breast (622.50 g), back (228.33 g), gizzard (88.33 g), liver (49.167 g) and total giblets weight (160 g) were highest in Gray geese. Results also revealed that significant difference among strains in Lymphocyte, Monocyte and H/L ratio with highest value 56.67% in White geese, 2.17% and 0.77 in Gray geese, respectively. Males geese surpass females significantly in live weight, warm carcass weight, cold carcass weight as well as most carcasses components and blood traits. Significant correlation coefficients were found between live weight, warm and cold carcass weight and primary carcass components.
In conclusion, the results obtained in this study indicated that meat yield was good of the native Kurdish geese and that strains influenced live weight, carcass and blood traits and this study is the first paper on native geese in Kurdistan/Iraq; therefore, the data obtained can be used for the identification of native geese in this region.