EFFECTS OF SEXUAL DIMORPHISM ON BIOMETRY OF MAJOR RESPIRATORY ORGANS OF NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKEN

Abstract

Thirty apparently healthy Male and Female local chickens (Fifteen per sex, all above one year of age) were purchased from local markets in Mokwa and slaughtered. The major respiratory organs were harvested for sexual dimorphic biometric studies. The weight, length, diameter, thickness and volume of the segments were considered for the studies. The mean weights, lengths, diameters, thicknesses and volumes of major respiratory organs of Male and Female Nigerian local chickens studied, were not significantly different (P>0.05) from one another except the length of the trachea which was significantly (P⩽0.05) longer in the females than the males of Nigerian local chickens. However, these measurements differed from the values in the literature for chickens and for birds in general. This study will add to the knowledge of avian comparative anatomy and aid the pathologist in diagnoses in this species.