Energy use and egg production in Rhode Island Red × Naked Neck hens under dry tropical family poultry systems

The objective was to evaluate the performance of Rhode Island Red × Naked Neck hybrid hens—partial Naked Neck (PNNH; Na·na) vs. fully feathered (FFH; na·na)—under family poultry conditions in the dry tropics. Sixty hens (30 PNNH and 30 FFH) were included in the analysis. Growth was described with the Gompertz–Laird function, and metabolizable energy (ME) was partitioned into ME for maintenance (MEm), ME for egg production (MEp), and ME requirement (MEreq). Differences in productivity between phenotypes were assessed using mixed models, and linear regression related the temperature–humidity index (THI) to ME components. PNNH reached a higher asymptotic body weight (1,439.8 vs. 1,193.7 g; p < 0.05) and began laying earlier (3 weeks earlier; p < 0.05). PNNH also showed greater egg weight (56.9 vs. 51.7 g; p < 0.05), laying rate (59.9% vs. 39.8%; p < 0.05), and egg mass (34.2 vs. 20.9 g/hen/day; p < 0.05). Likewise, PNNH had higher MEm (176.6 vs. 156.2 kcal/hen/day; p < 0.05), MEp (64.0 vs. 31.3 kcal/hen/day; p < 0.05), and ME intake (552.6 vs. 447.5 kcal/hen/day; p < 0.05). THI reduced ME intake by − 16.1 and − 23.7 kcal/hen/day per THI unit in PNNH and FFHC, respectively. In summary, crossbreeding with Naked Neck hens improves energy efficiency and egg production, offering a sustainable strategy for enhancing family poultry systems in the dry tropics.