Mathematical Functions to Describe the Egg Production Curves in A Commercial Broiler Dam Line

Throughout the current study, the appropriate function for a description of egg production curve in a commercial broiler dam line was determined through fittings of a number of six mathematical models, namely: incomplete gamma function (WM): modified incomplete gamma function (MWM): compartmental function (CM): modified compartmental function)MCM): polynomial regression function of Ali and Schaeffer Function (AS): and logistic-curvilinear function (LF). For each model, the parameters were estimated through Gauss-Newton method (implemented in NLIN procedures) in SAS software. The models were compared as based on the adjusted R-square (), Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Akaike Information Criteria (AIC). The results indicated that the compartmental function was of the least MSE and AIC and was therefore the most appropriate function to describe the egg production curve in the current study population.