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Abstract
Objective: To determine the productive performance and forage consumption (Trifolium repens L.) of Mexican Creole and Sasso chickens, under two rearing systems (confinement or grazing). Design/Methodology/Approach: One-hundred twenty-eight chickens (64 Mexican Creole (MC) and 64 Sasso (S)) of 35 d of age were randomly distributed in two production systems to obtain four repetitions (eight chickens per repetition) of each of the following genotype system combinations: Mexican Creole in grazing, Mexican Creole in confinement, Sasso in grazing, and Sasso in confinement. A completely randomized experimental design with a 22 factorial arrangement was used, with genotype and production system as its main factors. The following variables were evaluated: feed consumption, weight gain, and feed conversion. Additionally, forage consumption in grazing birds was determined. Results: The productive performance variables were not affected by the production system factors or by its interaction with the bird genotype. However, the genotype did influence the variables considered: the Sasso birds recorded better values (p0.05) than Mexican Creole specimens. Regarding forage consumption, no differences were observed (p0.05) between bird genotypes and, in both cases, the accumulated consumption at the 49 d of study was close to 60 g of DM. Study Limitations/Implications: It is necessary to carry out a socioeconomic study as well as a defoliation level analysis with the aim of improving the use of the resource. Findings/Conclusions: Mexican Creole birds had a lower productive performance with a similar forage consumption.