Feather Weight of Early (k) and Late (K) Feathering Young Adult Broilers

Chickens from a commercial broiler stock were tested to ascertain whether presence of the sex-linked early (k+) and late (K) feathering alleles caused a difference in feather cover (weight of feathers) at 147 and 196 days of age. There were no differences between early and late feathering females for absolute feather weight or feather weight as a percentage of body weight. Early feathering males had heavier body weights and feather weights than early feathering females, but there was no difference between sexes for percent feather weight. Females at 147 days of age had greater percent feather weight than at 196 days of age due to an increase in body weight but not in feather weight.