author(s)
NB Mohanta, L Samal, NC Behura, PK Pati, J Bagh and B Nandi

abstract
The present study was conducted to evaluate the egg quality traits and meat traits of an indigenous dwarf chicken population of Odisha maintained at Central Poultry Development Organization, Bhubaneswar under intensive system of management from December 2015 to April 2016 up to 20 weeks of age. Age at first egg was 121±0.90 day and age of sexual maturity was 136±0.90 day. Thirty eggs were collected randomly at 20 weeks to study the egg quality traits. The external egg quality parameters such as egg weight, shape index and internal egg quality parameters such as yolk index, albumen index, Haugh unit and shell thickness were recorded. The average weight of egg was 27.95±0.55g. Eight birds (4 from each male and female birds) were sacrificed to study the chemical composition of breast and thigh muscles. Higher protein % and ash % were recorded in breast muscle (82.92±0.84 and 6.02±± 0.23; respectively) than that of thigh muscle (72.81±4.49 and 5.14±0.36; respectively). Higher fat % and fiber % was observed in thigh muscle (4.67±0.62 and 1.15±0.19; respectively) than that of breast muscle (1.57±0.31 and 0.61±0.11; respectively). Significantly higher (P=0.001) fat% was observed in breast muscle of female birds than male birds