Characterization of clutch traits and egg production in six chicken breeds

Objective: The better understanding of laying pattern of birds is crucial for developing breed-specific proper breeding scheme and management.Methods: Daily egg production until 50 wk of age of six chicken breeds including one layer (White Leghorn, WL), three dual-purpose (Rhode Island Red, RIR; Columbian Plymouth Rock, CR; and Barred Plymouth Rock, BR), one synthetic dwarf (DY), and one indigenous (Beijing-You Chicken, BYC) were used to characterize their clutch traits and egg production. The age at first egg, egg number, average and maximum clutch length, pause length, and number of clutches and pauses were calculated accordingly.Results: The egg number and average clutch length in WL, RIR, CR, and BR were higher than those in DY and BYC (p