International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research Open Access, Peer Reviewed, Abstracted and Indexed Journal E-ISSN: 2635-3040; P-ISSN: 2659-1561 Homepage: https://www.ijriar.com/ Volume-5, Issue-4, April-2021: 1-10 1 Research Article Descriptive Statistics, Correlation and Regression Coefficient of Growth Traits in the Nigerian Heavy Local Chicken Ecotype Udeh, F.U., Ndofor-Foleng, H.M., Nwosu, C.C. and Ozor, D.C. Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Correspondence email: fredrickudeh11@mail.com Received: March 15, 2021 Accepted: March 29, 2021 Published: April 3, 2021 Abstract: Body weight is a very important characteristic in animal husbandry due to selection criteria and economic profit, and linear body measurement is used as an indirect method of estimating body weight. The aim of the study was to predict body weight from the linear body measurement and establish regression equations for the prediction of body weight and determine the growth trait that most predicts body weight for selection and improvement purposes. A total of 240 grower chicks were used for the study. The birds were generated from the existing 7 th Generation of the Nigeria heavy local chicken ecotype (NHLCE) parent stock in the Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka farm. Ten cocks and sixty hens were selected from the existing flock to establish 10 sire families. Each cock was randomly assigned to 6 hens to form a sire family at a mating ratio of 1:6. Each sire family was housed in a particular pen with a demarcation separating the cock from the hens. Artificial insemination was used as the mating method. Artificial insemination was done at an interval of two days. Fertile eggs produced were marked according to sire families. Fertile eggs were hatched with the aid of an electric automated incubator. The chicks were brooded for eight weeks. At the end of the brooding period, the grower-chicks were randomly chosen for the study and given similar treatments. Body weight and linear body measurements were taken bi-weekly. The results showed that at 20 weeks of age, the birds had an average body weight of 1627.78g and, an average body length, shank length, chest circumference, thigh circumference and thigh length of 24.14cm, 8.32cm, 37.19cm, 11.01cm and 14.50cm, respectively. The correlation coefficients between body weight and linear body measurements were significant (p<0.01), strong and positive. Chest circumference had highest coefficient of 0.91, followed by thigh length 0.86 and shank length 0.75, respectively, on the body weight. The regression result showed that chest circumference is the best predictor of body with highest value of R 2 (0.72) and lowest standard error (1.49). It was therefore concluded that linear body measurements can be used to predict body weight and the best predictor of body weight is the chest circumference. Keywords: Descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, growth traits and NHLCE. Introduction The Nigerian heavy local chicken ecotype is a fast growing strain of local chickens developed in the Department of Animal Science, Teaching and Research farm, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The birds were bred as dual purpose chickens to produce meat and eggs (Udeh et al., 2018). Growth is fundamental to all living things and it can be defined as an increase in number of body cells and elongation in size per unit of time (Schulze et al., 2001). Indigenous chickens, like improved breeds have a sigmoid growth pattern with differences in growth rate and feed efficiency (Nwosu, 1979). Singh and Singh (1983) had earlier reported that growth is affected by genetic and non-genetic factors. Hence, Cam et al., (2010) affirmed that live weight could be affected by differences in management, environmental and enterprise feeding conditions. Body weight is a very important characteristic in animal husbandry due to selection criteria and economic profit. Body weight is used in determining several other economic traits in farm animals (Pesman and Yardimci, 2008). Due to