Growth Curve Analysis of Body Weight of Mixed-Sex Egyptian Native Geese (Anser Anser Domesticus) Using Three Nonlinear Mathematical Functions
Volume 81, Issue 2 (2023): Veterinarija ir Zootechnika, pp. 54–61
Pub. online: 22 August 2024
Type: Research Article
Open Access
Open Access
Received
17 January 2024
17 January 2024
Revised
8 February 2024
8 February 2024
Accepted
23 February 2024
23 February 2024
Published
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
Abstract
Three non-linear growth models (logistic, Gompertz and von Bertalanffy) were used
to describe and estimate growth parameters of 10-week age-body weight relationship of mixed-sex
Egyptian indigenous geese. The estimated asymptotic weight (A), scaling parameter (B), maturity index
(K), inflection weight (Wi) and time (Ti) were respectively 3254.00 g, 13.15, 0.48 g/day, 1627 g and
5.37 weeks; 3895.00 g, 3.33, 0.25, 1431.99 g and 4.81 weeks; and 4559.00 g, 0.72, 0.17, 1350.81
g and 4.53 weeks for the logistic, Gompertz and von Bertalanffy growth function. The application
of four goodness-of-fit criteria [coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE),
Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC)] revealed that von
Bertalanffy was the best fitting model describing age-body weight relationship of Egyptian native geese.
This was premised on the fact that the von Bertanlanffy model had the highest R2 (0.896) and lowest
RMSE (327.05), AIC (8806.50) and BIC (5747.86) compared with the Gompertz (R2: 0.897; RMSE:
328.70; AIC: 8813.05; BIC: 5754.40) and logistic (R2: 0.891; RMSE: 338.90; AIC: 8841.71; BIC:
5783.07) models. The information provided in this study could be exploited for planning appropriate
management practices and further genetic studies on improvement of Egyptian native goose for increased
body weight.